Then, Now and Forever: The Falling Sky
by QueenofQuill
Summary: This is my extension on Sighcoe's world in Then Now and Forever. Queen Reina has come to renew relations with the empire but when she finds Emperor Sasuke behaving selfishly with a mistress towards his consort Naruto and his Kingdom will she stay an ally?
1. The Powerful Sky

_If you have ever read Sighcoe's story 'Then, Now and Forever' then you'll love this. Sighcoe has graciously allowed me to borrow her world and her story for a while. When I see a story I like I can't resist putting in my own character so I came up with Queen Reina and I wrote a story for her. I would like to thank Sighcoe for letting me borrow her story and for taking the time to read it over so that I didn't make any mistakes concerning her universe. I hope you all enjoy and tell me what you think. _

Sitting bare back on a horse was the only way to ride but it was frowned upon in this country if you were someone of high stature. In this great empire people of importance were held to rather high standards of behaviour. It wasn't very different where she came from, nobles and royals were still expected to behave in a certain way but they were much less restricted. Despite all her objections to many of the traditions of this empire she was glad to be back. Before proper business was conducted she wanted to ride around the towns for a while remembering the sights she use to take in the last time she was hear and taking in the new ones to see how the country had changed. She also wanted to ask people how the country had changed.

If you wanted an opinion on an empire or a country she always made a rule that the court wasn't the place to go. Nobles and royals would tell you how the country was but they would tell it in such a way that suited their own means and was profitable for them. She was a smart, down to earth young woman and she was one of the few people in the world that knew that if you wanted to know how a country was being run you should always ask the people; the farmers, the inn keepers, the market sellers. The majority who had no real voice so they just silently complained to each other. It was a very smart thing to do, most people would think that they would get no valuable information from common folk as they were too uneducated, too brutish, too vulgar to understand how a country was being run but what those people didn't think about was the fact that the common people were the ones that had to live with the decisions made. They were also the servants in the palaces and noble houses that heard the happenings of the court and passed it on to their friends in the town.

Yes, this woman was a very smart woman. She was not snobbish enough to think that common folk didn't know anything because it was quite possible that they were more in the know about the rights and wrongs of the empire than people in the courts were because they didn't think in coins and profit. They didn't think in lands and power. They wanted a peaceful, righteous place to live for themselves and their children and nobles and royals were fools to think that they weren't qualified to speak about the events of the empire.

A local ale house was graced with the presence of a cloaked figure. No one took notice of the figure walking in and asking for a large mug of ale. The owner was surprised to hear a woman's voice from behind the cloak as this figure had the tall confident stride of a man but he internally shrugged and handed over the ale. Money was exchanged and he bid his customer a good day.

"I would also like a room for the night if you have one available." The voice was smooth and mystifying and had a strange twinge as if it was use to speaking another language but that only added to its beauty.

"Sure we got rooms. What ya lookin' for? Double? Single?"

"Single will do just fine." Money was exchanged again and a leather gloved hand took the key that was offered.

"Thank-you my good man."

The figure then went and sat down at a table next to a group of men who worked in the nearby coal mine and when she pulled back her hood the entire ale house was stunned into silence. There sat without a doubt the most beautiful woman any of the occupants of ale house had ever seen. Even with her mahogany brown haired uncombed, her autumn coloured skin washed with no more than water and her body hidden by the heavy, inexpensive clothes she was wearing she was still as close to a goddess as anyone on this earth was going to get. She scanned the ale house and its patrons and then gave a mischievous smile and held up her mug to her admirers and downed half of its contents. That action made everyone realise that they were rudely staring and they returned to their conversations while the beyond beautiful young woman struck up her own with the miners she was sitting next to. At first they were afraid to talk to her as if she some kind of ethereal being but they soon relaxed around her as her witty tongue started entertaining them.

In the dead of night a rope was flung out of one of the top windows of the ale house were the guests slept. Three ladies took it in turns to nimbly climb up the rope with little trouble and enter the room. Each other then were carrying a bag and when they laid their eyes on the room's occupant they dropped them and embraced her like a sister and then kissed her hands. She pulled them away saying she cared not for such nonsense. Plus she stressed that she was meant to be a simple traveller and ladies did not kiss the hands of simple travellers. They all chuckled at her words, she always made them laugh, it was one of the many things that made everyone; man or woman fall a little in love with her.

"So my ladies," she said in their native tongue which came out like a romantic nonsensical poem. "While I am comfortable in these clothes I fear we all must change as we are to be keeping much higher company soon enough and they will not accept us in this attire. While we change we must exchange stories on what we have discovered of the goings on in this country that I have missed so heartily."

They all nodded and got to work setting up things to make themselves more presentable to higher company, "Higher only in rank," the woman that had just drank with a lot of delightful people today said. "In heart and in soul they are worth just as much as any high class noble."

The ladies nodded, they knew that their mistress felt this way for as long as they had known her. She had always valued the common people perhaps more than she valued noble people. When they asked her why she just laughed and said, "Ironically my sweet ladies; the people who work long hours to feed their children, the women who run their houses by hand and with love, the men who risk their lives down in mines or hazard breaking their backs on farms, the neighbours who would give their spare pennies to their friends if they needed it ... they my ladies are the truly noble people."

And at once they all agreed with her. It was difficult for anyone to disagree with her, which was why she was so good at what she did and it was why she was born to do it.

The mistress of these ladies loathed her body being lathered and painted and sprayed. When her ladies asked her why she simply answered, "If I am not beautiful without paint on my face then I am not beautiful at all."

And once again they couldn't argue with her. The ladies had asked a lot of questions of their mistress when they first entered her service and the answers were always so simple that they made them feel like they should have known them already. Working for this woman had changed many of their views for the better. They were no longer obsessed with beauty like a lot of high class women were and as a result they had become more beautiful than they had been before as they learned to let their insides shine without. They had been courted many times and were adored by many and they owed it all to their mistress who was also their teacher even though she was two years their junior.

One lady set out the large washing bowl that came with the room while another unpacked and the third pulled up the bucket of water she had tied to the end of the rope before she ascended it. It was a pretty large bucket and many noble ladies would have had trouble carrying it but their mistress insisted that her ladies be strong and she demanded that they learn how to fight and they accompanied her to her weaponry lessons. They had followed her in learning the sword, the dagger, the bare fist and many other weapons that were at the disposal of her household. She had become the greatest swords woman to have ever lived and had only been beaten by two different men.

One: was the former emperor Fugaku who sparred with her on many occasions when she was still learning but who knew if she could defeat him now.

Two: was the famous Kyuubi who had come to visit their country shortly after she had become a master. They had battled in a friendly manner on many occasions and she could beat him half the time but he was on par with her so the other half of the victories belonged to him.

She felt no shame in losing to either of them. To have just given them a challenge was a feat in itself.

It took a few hours for the ladies to prepare their mistress and themselves. They all took turns washing and going to the well to fetch more water. By the time they were finished people would have definitely recognised them for the high class women that they were. The mistress' hair had been washed, combed and dried in such a way that it would fall in glossy brown waves. Her body had been cleansed of the sweat of the day and had been donned with finer clothes. Fine perfume had been sprayed on her body but she still refused to wear any artificial colouring on her face. Her ladies washed and dressed themselves while their mistress slept and dabbed their faces with white powder along with coloured to create the effect of ivory skin and a blush. They elongated their eye lashes using ink that they had thickened with powder. They only did this because they were determined to look their best for their destination while this mistress didn't care what she looked like nor did she really need to care as long as she was presentable. By the time they were finished and had packed everything away in their bags dawn was breaking and their mistress was waking.

She woke up looking radiant in the sunlight and smiled as her ladies told her they would climb down the rope and load everything onto the horses and wait for her. She stretched and prepared herself for the day ahead and then untied the rope and threw it down to her ladies who caught it and made their way to the stables. She donned her cloak and exited her room. She silently made sure that no-one was around as she couldn't be caught looking as she was or there would be panic and calling of neighbours to see the lady that decided to visit a humble ale house. She pulled her hood over her head and made her way down to the stables were her ladies were placing saddles on their horses and her own. She internally moaned at the idea but she knew it was necessary if not to please the court which she would soon be riding into then for the comfort of the horse. After all even if no saddle took some of the weight off it became sore for the poor horse after a while. She was always fair to her animals as they were always loyal to her.

Once everything was loaded on the horses the mistress jumped on her midnight black mount the same way she always did. She didn't bother to put her feet in the stirrups, she just grabbed the front and back of the saddle and swung herself up and over the creature to land perfectly on its back. Her ladies chuckled at this like they always did but the display of arm strength and agility never failed to impress them. She had told them that while saddles were necessary, riding side saddle wasn't. Side saddle wasn't something that was expected of the ladies where they came from. This way they could ride as fast as a man and with little discomfort. Their mistress took a black hat out of the bag that was tied to her saddle and gathered her hair into it so it wouldn't be in disarray when they got to the court. Not that she cared very much, one of the things she loved about riding was the wind through her long hair making it feel light and feathery. However her ladies cared about what she looked like and she cared about her ladies' opinion. Said ladies followed suit, taking hats out of their own bags and gathering their hair into them. They all took out clips and pinned their hats to their hair so that they would not blow off and once that was done they were ready to go.

"Right my sweet ladies," she announced as if they were heading into battle. "Let us make our way to the court."

Former Empress Mikoto was in quite a state, the reason being that a woman of severe importance and outstanding virtue was due to arrive at their palace this very day. She hailed from Sukai no Kuni or Skyland as it was known to its people. There was a reason Skyland wasn't part of the great empire. Centuries ago the people of the world, nobles included thought that the Sky Country was a stretch of land placed in the sky and held there by the gods and therefore they didn't try to reach it. By the time the population was evolved enough to know better they found out that the Sky Country had its own people and had already developed its own society separate from the empire. A couple of emperors had tried to conquer the floating land and join it with the empire but Guerrilla war tactics were used very affectively against the invaders and the massive expanse of space between the floor of the empire and the floor of the Sky Country also worked very much in their favour. There was only one way to get from one floor to another and that was through the mountains.

The mountain that reached the closest to Skyland was called Mount Horii or the Mountain of Holly. When invading, the Emperors had both tried to build bridges between the top of the mountain and the land in the sky. Their attempts were thwarted early on but when a treaty was reached between the lands the sky people finished the bridge themselves and business was allowed to be conducted between the countries. The wonders that lay in that land were incredible. One would think that nothing would be able to grow in that thin air but the people had somehow managed to manipulate their climate and they also grew plants that wouldn't survive on ground land's soil and many of them were useful for medicine. Her Holiness Tsunade sent precious commodities and gifts up there just so she could get her hands on some of their healing herbs and plants. They gladly gave all they could to help their allies but compared to the empire Skyland was rather small so they could only give so much.

For centuries the empire had enjoyed the benefits of peace with the Sky people and their current ruler was no different. When she was a young teenager of about thirteen years she was sent to live in the court of the Emperor for three years. She was to make friendships and learn customs so that she could one day rule with the same love for the empire and its ruler as her parents had. Her mother was sent there when she was young, she was not the heir to the throne she was merely promised to the young King of Skyland and so it was decided that she would be ambassador for him. Mikoto had never known the princess' mother though she had known her father rather well and had heard many stories of the Queen Consort through Fugaku. Now the Princess was returning to them: a queen. Mikoto fondly remembered the pretty young girl who use to make everyone in the court laugh. She remembered the charming young lady whose presence everyone would delight in. She remembered the smart young girl who sat in court proceedings and presented many noteworthy ideas that no-one could argue against. But most of all she remembered the sweet gentle young girl who played with Sasuke and Naruto, she was six years older than them but that didn't deter her in the slightest. She would chase them around the palace gardens not caring if she got dirty, she would teach them how to dance and how to wield a sword before they were trained by masters and what Mikoto remembered her doing most fondly was singing the songs her mother had sung her which she had translated perfectly to Naruto before he went to sleep as Sasuke had insisted that he didn't need lullabies. She had the voice of an angel and there were rumours among the superstitious that she was one.

Mikoto prayed that she was still the Princess she remembered who judged no-one for some unknown reason because if the Princess was still the same girl she was then they might get through this visit without losing their alliance to her.

While pacing in her study the former empress continued to look at the sun. It was nearing dinner time and the feast would be ready in an hour. Where was Reina? Mikoto stopped for a moment and smiled at that wonderful name. The bridge between the empire and the Sky Country was the symbol of ally-hood and peace if that was demolished by a ruler that was the end of peace and it was named the bridge of Rei which translated as the bridge of peace. The Princess who had grown into a queen was named after that bridge; Renia, Queen of Peace.

Konohamaru was tending to his master's steed which he loved it do, he loved serving Naruto. If he did nothing else in his life that is what he would die doing. His Highness had that affect on a lot of people. That is why everyone was convinced he would make a great consort for the emperor; he had that ability to make everybody want to follow him.

Dislike for the emperor and his mistress was growing by the day among both nobles and common folk, all sorts of rumours were flying about the kingdom. Good news travels fast but Konohamaru knew as did many other people that bad news moves twice as fast and shocking news moves at the speed of light. Konohamaru couldn't hide his growing dislike for the Emperor and Lady Sakura who was becoming rather bold these days now that she had been proclaimed His Majesty's official mistress. Naruto endured as he always did and Konohamaru resented him for that a little as did Naruto's own brother Kyuubi. Neither of them could see why His Highness would suffer like he was. He had been handed an existence not a life. He had to deal with all the trials that the country was dealing with right now and he had no-one to turn to because Sasuke refused to let anyone touch him. Konohamaru clutched the grooming brush in his hand as his blood boiled just thinking about it.

The young boy was called out of his silent rage as he heard a group of horse galloping towards him at a very high speed. He turned around quickly to see that the beasts were approaching rapidly, faster than he had ever seen horses travel. He was so afraid that they weren't going to be able to stop in time and would crash into the stables but they didn't. The riders expertly pulled on the reins and the horses came to an almost impossibly comfortable halt. To say Konohamaru was impressed was a huge under-statement. He had never seen such magnificent horses or such masterful riders. He had been so busy worrying about the horses crashing into the stables that he didn't even notice the riders until they pulled to that impressive stop.

He looked up to see that the riders were four ladies. Taking in their attire he knew they were foreign, the palace had been in a ruckus for the last six weeks preparing for the arrival of the Queen of Sukai no Kuni. Realising he was in the presence of royalty but not knowing which one was in fact the Queen he merely lowered his head and waited to be addressed.

Lifting his eyes cautiously but keeping his head down he noticed that thanks to the hats they were wearing he couldn't see their whole faces but one of the woman gave him a large smile and said, "Hello Signet. We are here from the Sky Country and our horses are very tired. I wonder if a fine page such as yourself could help us rest them."

Konohamaru silently wondered why they were back here. Wasn't there a welcome party to meet them at the main gate where they would be lead to the doors of the palace and their horses would be taken off them and taken care of? He didn't feel like it was his place to ask so he just nodded his head knowing that 'Signet' was the way people of Sukai no Kuni addressed children and people younger than themselves with whom they were not familiar. He also knew that 'Swan' was the term used for adults and people older than the addresser of the same lack of acquaintance. His Highness Naruto had told him a lot about Sukai no Kuni as one of his dearest friends was their Princess. He had also told Konohamaru of the Sukai dress. The women on the horses were wearing lovely white blouses which just peaked out over the low shoulders of their jackets which were fitting and well made to be suitable for both hot and cold weather. They were also wearing long floor length skirts that attached and detached to their jackets and matched them. The skirts had large slits in them that went from the hem to the waist and underneath they wore fitting trousers tucked into large riding boots. This skirt trouser combination was the attire for ladies of action in Sukai as they could close the slit and go from practical to formal in a few seconds.

Like on a chess boards women (Queens) were seen as protectors in Sukai no Kuni. While very few of them were front line soldiers they waited beside the King and used their superior moves to protect him. Women were weaker in body, there was no denying that but the stronger sword master did not necessarily win. Women were quieter and gentler than men and the same was true for the killers, most of them killed kindly if they could unless they had been wronged then 'hell hath no fury' as the saying went. That was why ladies in waiting were now, under the new Queen required to be masters of at least one weapon and behind the male palace guards and bridge guards there was always a woman behind him waiting for the right moment to attack an enemy silently while her male counterpart wore him down physically. Sukai was adamant that the partnership between males and females in all areas in their country was what made them so strong because one sex balanced out the others flaws and created harmony.

The lady who spoke to Konohamaru swung her leg over her horse but she didn't jump off, she merely sat side saddle while her companions jumped off their own horses, Konohamaru assumed that the one still astride must be the Queen as one of the ladies who had dismounted reached into her saddle bag and pulled out a pair of flat silver shoes. The lady removed her mistress' riding boots and placed the flat shoes on her slim, highly arched feet. The woman then jumped off the horse and stood while her lady closed the slit in her skirt. Konohamaru watched in amazement as who he assumed was the Sukai Queen reached towards her head, removed two clips, handed them to her lady and removed the hat letting her wavy hair fall free. The young page laid eyes on what was without a doubt the most beautiful woman he would ever see. She ran her fingers through her hair and sighed as if relived that she could finally let her scalp breathe. She handed the hat to her lady who went back to the horses. The Queen turned to Konohamaru and smiled kindly, "Thank-you Signet for showing my ladies how to put our horses away in these stables. Please take this for your trouble and don't refuse or I shall find out the name of your master and get him to order you to take it." She said this mischievously and Konohamaru relaxed a little and failed to stifle a chuckle. She didn't seem to mind. He took the felt purse of gold that was handed to him with great thanks and a deep bow and watched her walk towards the palace and enter through the servant's entrance. What kind of monarch was this woman? More importantly how would she react to the recent goings on of the palace?

Former Empress Mikoto could not for the life of her sit still. She had been waiting for the arrival of Queen Reina all day and had gone over the preparations for her coming twice just to keep herself busy. She was so looking forward to seeing that wonderful girl again. She would be staying for just over a month to renew relations with the empire and now that she had been with her husband for a while and the kingdom had accepted him as her consort she could afford to leave it in his capable hands. It would also give him the opportunity to show the country that he was worthy of the position he had been given.

Just then a servant came running through the doors of Mikoto's study, "Your Majesty," the frantic young girl exclaimed and then checked herself and dropped into a bow.

"What is it?"

"It is her Majesty Queen Reina. She has arrived. She and her ladies bypassed the guards at the front gate and went straight to the stables. When asked why she said that she loathed huge welcoming comities and wanted to surprised you and his Majesty the former Emperor."

"Where is she now?" asked Mikoto barely containing her excitement.

"She is now waiting in one of the lounge rooms Your Majesty. She says for you not to hurry yourself if you are busy as she has found a good book to read among the ones in that room but every moment she spends in this castle without seeing your face is like a blow to the heart."

Mikoto smiled with nostalgia. "Well that sounds like Reina."

"I have heard stories about her Your Majesty. People who were in court at the time when she was here last are so happy that she is returning that all they can talk about is her."

"Well she did capture a lot of hearts while she was here, my own being one of them."

"Shall I lead you to the study I was told she is in Ma'am?"

"Yes, without delay."

The former empress walked with the excited young servant at her side who was practically jumping with excitement and if Mikoto had been any less disciplined she would have probably been doing the same. "Pardon me Your Majesty but may I ask you something about Queen Reina."

"There is so much to ask and so little time to tell but please ask me what you want."

The young woman smiled, she had always admired the former Empress not only for her intelligence and her beauty but also her kindness and tolerance. They were the traits that made her such a perfect match for Fugaku. She balanced him out. That was what Reina had told them when she was a princess in their court, she said that that is why her country made so many mixed gender partnerships in all areas of their country including soldiers, trade, labour and many more. "Is it true that she is the most beautiful Queen to have ever lived?"

Mikoto smiled again. "Well, I cannot answer that one for you as I only remember her as a princess but let me tell you if she is half the beauty she was when she left she would still floor all the men at court."

"Is it also true that she judges no-one no matter what they say or do? Is she truly that merciful?"

The former Empress sighed. "Yes my dear girl she is. I had her in my court and in my home for three years. She was surrounded by greedy, selfish people. She was aquatinted with people, who were dishonourable, who were thieves, adulterers and sometimes even murderers but I never once saw her judge any of them nor did I see a glimmer of condemnation in her eyes. I can only hope for the sake of the alliance that she hasn't changed."

Mikoto said this mostly to herself but the young girl understood. Everyone knew what was going on lately with the Emperor. He had been rather selfish lately and the nobles were arguing because of it. There was even talk of war when His Highness Naruto disappeared for a while in distress. Her Holiness Tsunade had also expressed her dismay with the Emperor but she had taken it to extremes by leaving the empire without her support. Mikoto was sure Reina must have heard about that at least. Oh well, there was only one way to find out.

As they came to the doors of the study the servant bowed and bid Mikoto a farewell before leaving. The woman who had endured so much in her life; the Empress, the wife, the mother, the warrior, the peacekeeper ... was now feeling rather afraid and a little faint. She would be overjoyed to see the face of the girl she loved as her own daughter and see what kind of woman she had become but she was also afraid for her country. What if Reina wasn't as forgiving as she use to be? People had always debated on whether or not that was a good quality for a Queen to have. Wouldn't a Queen or any kind of leader have to have the will to judge?

Mikoto just hoped as she gripped the doorknobs of the study lounge Reina had made herself comfortable in that the young Queen had managed to rule Skyland without developing judgmental qualities.

Opening the door the older woman stepped into the room. It was large enough to give occupants plenty of space but small enough to be rather personal. Three of the four walls were covered in book shelves and reading one of those books on a fine, white cotton sofa with her legs thrown up onto it was Reina. For a moment Mikoto couldn't move. The maid had asked how beautiful the young Queen was and now that she had seen her she was still unable to answer that question because there were no words to describe the woman she saw lying on the furniture reading. Lucky for Mikoto the young Queen looked up and smiled at her, such a warm tender smile. She then looked like she would cry from happiness and Mikoto new that this was the same little girl she had taken into her court and loved as her own all those years ago. Reina put the book down on the marble table in front of her and ran towards the woman standing in the door. Queen or no Queen she couldn't contain her joy at seeing this figure of her childhood again. She flung her arms round the neck of the older woman and held onto her so tight that Mikoto felt she was holding her as a child again. "Oh my own Mikoto. My second mother. My precious gem. If you could see my heart you would see it leaping within my chest." Mikoto smiled so brightly that one might think she hadn't smiled in her life. It felt so good to smile again as she hadn't been given any reason to since her and her husband came back home to find a court in chaos.

Reina then pulled back and a confused look came upon her face as she looked at Mikoto. The former Empress didn't know what in the world could be wrong. Then the Queen backed away and said, "Oh I beg your pardon my swan I thought you were a woman I use to know in this court but that is impossible as you are not nearly the age she should be."

It then dawned on Mikoto that the confused look was just acting. She nor anyone else had ever been able to tell by Reina's facial expressions if she was jesting. She use to be in a lot of plays that the court put on and took delight in learning how to make her face convey what she wanted it to convey; a great skill for a Queen to have. "Ah you are only in my presence for a few seconds and you are already teasing me my girl. You are definitely the Princess Reina I know."

And this relieved Mikoto immensely.

Reina gasped but it was only partly in jest. She truly didn't expect the majestic woman to have retained her beauty after all these years as she had, "You cannot be my own Mikoto. I refuse to believe it. Is it possible that you have not aged a day in the years I have been away?" The woman chuckled at her former ward's antics and took the younger woman's hands in her own bringing them up to her chest and just looking at her wondering how such a beautiful young girl could have improved on that beauty so much.

The former Empress laughed heartily and said, "I see you have lost none of your wit and charm in the years you have been gone. I also see that your mischievous side has not lessened either." Reina turned her head to the side in a shy gesture then Mikoto enveloped her up in her arms once again as she would do to a little girl. "Ah the rumours have not been untrue. You have truly grown into the most beautiful Queen the world has ever been graced with. I could scour the lands and not find one head that your face wouldn't turn."

Reina smiled a little and said, "I know all about my face. I have a mind too. Let's talk about that."

Mikoto smiled knowing that Reina never liked being judged by her beauty which was why she worked so hard to study and never took pride in her appearance like other ladies of high class did. Reina sat back down in the sofa she was reading on a few moments ago and the former imperial woman sat across from her in a chair of the same design as the sofa. "So," Reina began, lounging backwards. "How is my own Itachi?" 'My own' was a phrase used in Skyland to address people whom you felt affection for. "He must be as handsome as his father was if such as feat can even be achieved."

"He has been told of your arrival and is on his way," said Mikoto smiling. Reina and Itachi were about the same age and they had taken to each other like ducks to water. Itachi even wept for a while after Reina had departed. As did many members of court including a lot of heart broken suitors. Emperor Fugaku and Reina's father had had a discussion about a marriage between them the year Reina was scheduled to return home. Reina was opposed greatly to the idea; as much as she loved Itachi she was not in love with him and her romantic heart dreamed of true love. She knew it would be against her duties as the next Queen to refuse as she needed to put the welfare of her people first so she did the only thing she could do she went to Itachi, told him her feelings and wept. She never wept unless she couldn't find any other way to make herself feel better.

Itachi was also opposed to this match as he loved Reina in the same way she loved him and he knew the match would make them both unhappy. When he told her his feelings in return she flung her arms around him in sheer joy. At first Itachi was puzzled; of course she would be happy that he was opposed to the match but why would she be so happy that he didn't love her? It was only later that he realised that she had unintentionally broken so many hearts in her short life and it would have destroyed her if she had been forced to break his. They were both clever young royals and they almost knew the workings of their countries inside out so they grouped together to draft together a presentation for their fathers that would make a marriage between their kingdoms look rather undesirable. Itachi used his ingenuity and his genius mind to find the right sources of information and right them down while Reina drafted a plan for their presentation. They both used their talents with words to make the presentation flow with intelligence, reasonableness and grace. Then when it came time to present it to the court Reina used her persuasive skills to make the argument captivating and hard to dispute. The court was defenceless against such a partnership.

The two young royals celebrated their victory with a pleasant but fast horse ride through the country; just the way they liked it and a night sleeping under the stars. It was then during their friendly races (most of which were won by Reina), during their simple but delicious picnic and during their shared night under the blanket that was the sky that they realised that they would be kindred spirits and the best of friends for as long as they lived.

This was why Reina struggled to hold back tears of utter exhilaration when the handsome young man came walking through the door, his eyes looking at Reina as if he had seen an unearthly being. Itachi rushed over to the seating area ready to grasp his childhood friend in a fierce embrace but then checked himself and bowed. "Queen Reina. What a pleasure to see what a woman you have grown into."

Reina chuckled and rose to her feet embracing him tightly and letting nostalgia wash over her. "Ah my own Itachi," she breathed out and her calmness at seeing him was a testament to how much she had missed him. She had missed Mikoto with all her heart but she just couldn't bring herself to get excited at seeing Itachi's face, it was more emotional than that. "Oh how long has it been?"

Itachi drew back and took one of her hands in his, "I care not about the time line. Were it a day it would have been too long," he said kissing her deceptively delicate looking fingers. "You have grown into such a handsome man my Itachi. "Mikoto I must confess to you; when this visit is over I am abducting him and taking him home with me." The Uchihas laughed.

The emotional reunion lasted for longer than anyone cared to count because no-one was monitoring the time, they were all just so happy to see each other that for a short while all the affairs of state didn't matter but it was only for a short while. Reina was the first to withdraw into her Queen state of mind as she was after all here to renew political and national relations as well as personal ones.

"So," she said in an unrecognisable tone of voice. "On my way to the court my ladies and I decided to tour your towns while we were there. The people in this country have changed quite a bit. They are much more melancholy than I remember from my childhood."

This statement made the Uchiha royals freeze up a little. If Reina had gone through the empire's towns then she would have heard all sorts of rumours as they knew very well how much Reina delighted in talking with common folk. She held them in the highest regard. "Are you fatigued in any way my own ones," she said in a concerned voice addressing them both. Mikoto, along with her son were sure this was an act no matter how convincing it was. Reina was too intelligent to think that they had all of a sudden fallen pale from illness. She knew they were worried about something but what worried them was just how much she knew.

As if on cue the Emperor himself walked into the room. Reina stood up, not because he was the Emperor but because she was anxious to hold him. He too was obviously over taken by her beauty that eclipsed that of his Sakura easily. "My own Sasuke. Look at you; an Emperor. An Emperor and a beautiful young man that is sure to break many hearts." The other occupants of this room wondered if this was a silent comment on Sasuke's ongoing treatment of Naruto as well as his court. "Many, many hearts," she sighed and they knew it was. "Sit Lamb, sit with us. I was just telling your mother and brother about how the country has changed since I was here."

Sasuke saw it as quite impertinent that she was inviting him to sit in his own castle but he let it slide as he was happy to see her and also mesmerised by the beauty she had become. He also resented being called 'Lamb' or 'Lambie' which is what she always use to call him and Naruto when they were children but he ignored that as well, it was just another one of her queer Skyland habits that he had learned to put up with. So wrapped up in himself was Sasuke that he didn't even worry about what his friend and ally: the Queen of Skyland would think of his recent behaviour and the happenings of his court until Reina pointed out that she had been touring his towns on the way here. His cheeks suddenly went pale which was an achievement seeing as Sasuke's ivory skin couldn't get much paler. The same went for the rest of his family. "Oh dear Lambie, the parlour in your cheeks matches that of your family is there something that is worrying you all?"

Mikoto spoke up knowing that Reina would accept nothing less than a direct answer. She would keep up the deliberately thinly masked facade of ignorance until she was given answers. "My dear Reina, on your way here you must have heard some rumours ..."

She didn't get a chance to finish what she was saying as the young Queen stood up saying, "Ah yes," with a smile on her face and drew a sword that despite their keen eyes all of them had failed to spot hidden under her skirt, the handle sitting on her waist. She retained the smile as she fiddled with the sword which she knew how to use better than any of them and walked round the room in an aimless manner. "I have heard such rumours. Let me see if I've got this right," she paused pretending to collect her thoughts. "As His Highness Naruto and the rest of the court suffer, the selfish prince luxuriates from within; taking himself a mistress and placing his duties as Emperor as secondary concerns," without giving any of them a chance to reply she continued, "but really Your Majesty why stop there I have heard much more colourful variations," she said poking her finger with the tip of the sword. "You let the treaty with Her Holiness crumble, seduced your mistress in you fiancé's bed, deny Naruto even simple pleasures if they do not please you and keep him carefully hidden away from the love and comfort of others," there was no judgment in her voice which is what actually made Sasuke feel worse because if he was being accused at least he could attempt to defend himself when face with his actions but she didn't stop there she said something that made Sasuke feel even more guilty, "Now You Majesty have I forgotten anything? Doesn't that seem like the most farfetched drivel you have ever heard?" She had listed his actions in such a way that made them sound farfetched but he knew they were all true and her lack of judgement made it sting. She was merely telling him what he had done, what she knew he had done and what the whole kingdom knew he had done and once again he brushed his guilt aside and looked Reina in the face. She didn't mind his defiance of the truth, she merely smiled at him like she always use to. That too stung.

Mikoto and Itachi were both holding their breath. They too were well aware that Reina knew it wasn't drivel but they didn't know if it was going to affect their treaty with her. She loved Naruto like her own little brother and she had already lost one little brother but that was a story for another day. "Anyway," said Reina cheerfully, sheathing her sword back into its place on her hip hidden mostly by her skirt. "Enough of this nonsensical gossip. I was so excited to get here that I have not eaten a thing since breakfast. If it pleases you all, shall we eat now if the chefs are ready for us? I am eager to reacquaint my taste buds with the flavours of this land."

Mikoto tried her best to put a convincing smile on her face and mostly she succeeded but her eyes were still worried and Reina would notice that, "Yes my dear Reina," she said in a casual voice that betrayed a tiny bit of anxiety that only the finest ears could pick up. "The chefs have prepared a wonderful welcome meal for you and we are all going to sit down. Just the five of us and have an intimate dinner. A public tour is being prepared for your return but right now I want us all to forget about public and political relations and just focus on catching up with each other. Now if you are ready let's make our way to the private dining hall."

An unreadable look flashed across Reina's face but it disappeared as quickly as it came and she gave another one of her calming smiles. They walked in silence for about a minute although it felt much longer. Time with Reina was never quiet. This was a bad sign.

"So," Reina said. "It is just the four of us, where is my own little Lambie Naruto?"

"I'm afraid he has been overcome with fatigue and stress considering a lot of the ..." Mikoto really didn't want to finish that sentence as she would just be confirming every truth Reina had just spoken. Reina sensed Mikoto's distress and intervened for her.

"Oh, so he won't be joining us then?" She said bypassing the elephant in the room altogether.

"I'm afraid not. You will see him tomorrow though. He cannot wait to see you again."

"Nor I him." They reached the dining hall and were about to sit down when Reina gasped. "Wait, how are my ladies? They too have travelled since breakfast without food as where I go they go bless their beautiful souls, so I cannot in good conscience eat a bite until I know my ladies are taken care of."

Itachi smiled. "On my way here I bumped into your ladies who had the good fortune to meet up with Lady Hinata. She has engaged them in wonderful discussions and made them fall in love with her as she is apt to do. She also had the marvellous sense to order a great deal of food for herself and your ladies whom her motherly eye spotted, looked rather fatigued. Trust me Your Majesty, she will not let them out of her sight until she is satisfied that they are well fed."

Reina laughed out loud, throwing her head back and showing the graceful lines of her throat and what looked like a large locket around it. "Oh I remember little Lady Hinata. A Lamb as gentle as I ever saw one. I trust her with my ladies more than I would anyone else. I cannot wait to see her; no doubt she has grown into quite a beauty?"

"That she has," replied Itachi. "She reminds me of you in a way."

"How so?"

"She is more beautiful than many ladies which grace this court," he unconsciously looked at Sasuke and this action did not go un-noticed by Reina but again she judged no-one and said nothing, "because her inner beauty shines outward so brightly that you know she has a beautiful heart and a beautiful heart is what I find most important about loved ones."

Reina merely smiled in reply to this and the other occupants of the room became silently infuriated because they couldn't tell what was really going through the young Queen's mind. They all sat down to eat and Reina somehow again managed to remove all the tension and make them forget about matters of state as she talked about her husband, her beloved ladies and asked Mikoto all she could about her travels Fugaku. It was a pleasant dinner but like all dinners it was not to last forever.

_This is not the end, it is a two parter. We get to see Naruto and Reina's reunion as well as her meeting Sakura and we also learn about her brother who is connected greatly to her ability to not make any judgements. I hope you liked this. I adore Then, Now and Forever and can't wait until the next chapter. I am praying for a happy ending but they don't grow on trees. At least not in my imaginary garden (sorry; poor metaphor). I hope it turns out that Sasuke really does love Naruto but only the author knows that. I'm still trying to work out the scenes from the future but I am still enjoying the story in the past and am in no hurry to see it end so I guess I'll just have to wait and see._


	2. The Distant Sky

As Naruto walked through the palace early that morning all he could hear people talking about was Queen Reina. How her beauty surpasses all before her. How her wit and charm could sway the devil. How kind and wise she is. Naruto smiled, this was all true but none of them knew the real Reina. She was painted in the image of perfection as all people could seem to focus on were her virtues and she really hated that, she had flaws just like everyone else and one of the reasons she loved Naruto so much was because he was one of the few people in the world who could see them. Naruto loved her in return because despite her faults she was his friend, his older sister figure, his carer and on occasion his teacher. His childhood would have been made heavy with too much responsibility and expectations if she wasn't there to lighten the load.

That didn't mean she was perfect. Her habit of pretending to be ignorant when everyone in the room knew that she was probably the most informed person among them was rather annoying. Naruto didn't understand why she did it, it's not as if she thought she was fooling anyone with the facade in fact it was unlikely she _wanted_ to fool anyone because she was a better actress than that. If she really wanted people to think she was ignorant then she would have performed her part much better. It was a mystery but one he had learned to live with. Another flaw of hers was her laziness; he didn't know if she was still like this but even though she paid attention when she had to she would much rather spend a day doing absolutely nothing. She could happily spend a day lying on her bed and staring into space as her overactive imagination ran away with her and the day passed without her knowing it. Her tutors at the empire's court all those years ago had complained to the Empress that 'Her Highness Princess Reina' was not concentrating enough on her lessons but Mikoto knew Reina and she knew that all that was needed to bring her out of her daydreams was a bit of motivation so the Empress took it upon herself to provide that motivation.

Reina was clever; sometimes scarily so. She would sometimes come out with obscure pieces of information that could be applied to any situation she happened to be in and she presented these pieces of information as if they were common knowledge when of course they weren't. Naruto always wondered if she knew they weren't or if that was just another facade designed to make people feel inferior. She was very good at that. At first Naruto judged her for doing that but as he grew older and developed a greater understanding of the world he realised that it was a very clever way of getting people to trust you and not underestimate you because a young teenage Princess who was just over half way through her education would not be taken seriously as someone with anything worthwhile to say. Divulging snippets of genius as if they were everyday information was a very clever way to get people to listen to you.

Naruto smiled as he remembered all those times she use to drive adult members of the court crazy with her facade of unawareness. It made them feel rather stupid but in a strange way only made them admire her more. Sasuke never really approved of her tactical personality but then again Naruto just thought he was rather jealous of how beloved she was. He was the Prince here and this was his parent's court and here he was being overshadowed by this foreign Princess. Even his mother seemed to love the girl as her own. Sasuke eventually grew to love her as she played with him and Naruto and showed her fun side but he never stopped competing with her. Reina knew he was trying to outdo her but as usual she pretended she had noticed nothing. Naruto was rather sadden by the fact that he had been fast asleep from the exhaustion of a hard day when she arrived but he was looking forward to seeing her today and later in the afternoon he would ride with her and the Uchihas into town and she would be presented to the people as their beloved ally.

She was just out of bed; she woke up earlier than her ladies for some reason. It was probably because she was so anxious to see Naruto. She donned her riding clothes and decided to exercise herself and her horse before the ride today. She both loathed and loved royal events. She loathed them because she hated being shown off like she was a magnificent statue for people to look at but she loved them because it gave her a chance to make people happy. These people wanted to see her and she couldn't in good conscience disappoint them just because being overly doted upon made her uncomfortable. Strangely enough despite the early hour there was already someone down in the stables. Reina was surprised to find that is was Sasuke.

"Your Majesty," she exclaimed in over conveyed shock. "What an hour for an Emperor to be up."

Sasuke turned to her and smiled, familiar with her little psychological games ... well as familiar with them as he could be. "What an hour for a Queen to be up," He replied slyly.

"Touche my own Lambie. I am out here to give my horse some exercise before the ride today. After all like me if his thirst for fast and furious riding is not sated then the temptation to run through the streets of the town today will be there."

Sasuke chuckled. He knew very well that it wasn't the horse that would have the greatest temptation to run through the streets. Horses from the Sky Country were the most well trained in the world but it seemed that their Queens were a different story. If she didn't get her daily dose of wind and speed and freedom then she would go stir crazy today. "Now Lambie what on earth are you doing down here so early?"

Sasuke didn't want to look at her he was afraid she was able to see right through him. "I couldn't sleep for excitement last night so I decided like you to come down here and get myself ready for today."

Sasuke was only telling a half truth. It was true he could sleep last night and it was true that he was up to get an early morning ride but the reason he couldn't sleep was not excitement it was what Reina had said last evening before dinner. He found it strange how the person who holds no judgment in her heart was the person he least wanted his indiscretions revealed to. He didn't understand that; she wouldn't judge him, she wouldn't scold him and she probably wouldn't even be angry with him so why didn't he want her knowing all the things she obviously knew. Sasuke felt a little bit of guilt as the remarkable young woman who use to play with him, teach him things and even sang to him a couple times when he let her stood there looking at him like she always did. Not giving away that she knew he was telling her a little white lie. Still calling him Lambie and still getting a glint in her eyes when she saw him.

"My own Sasuke, why don't we ride together? By the time we are finished it will be time for breakfast and we will eat together and you can tell me all that you've been up to because you were so quiet at dinner last night."

She mounted her horse and watched as he did the same. "I was just so engaged in you tales of home and of your husband that I found I had nothing to say that had even remotely the same impressiveness," he said rather convincingly.

She smiled as if she believed him and said, "Well I apologise. I suppose you can see that my habit of letting my mouth run away with me has not changed since I have been gone."

"And thank heaven it hasn't," said Sasuke really meaning it this time. Not only did listening to Reina's engaging tales excuse him from talking about himself but it took his mind off all the heavy, unidentified feelings that were weighing on his mind. The most frustrating thing about these feelings was he didn't know what they were. He hoped maybe Reina could tell him but then he would have to tell her about his actions, particularly the ones that have hurt Naruto and even though he knew she was probably aware of these actions already it would still be hard to admit them to her face. He had no problem convincing himself that he had nothing to feel guilty about before Reina came but now that she was here his feelings changed. She did that to everyone.

Naruto sat down to breakfast in a small private dining area near the kitchen. He didn't know what time Reina would be down. The time of her morning risings tended to fluctuate depending on her mood. He was glad he didn't have to wait long as the doors to the dining room opened and in walked Sasuke followed by a woman whom he was dumbstruck by. He knew it was Reina but he remembered Reina as a girl, this was definitely a woman. He remembered Reina as the mischievous Princess; this was no doubt a Queen. Naruto stood up and stared with his mouth open for several seconds but then she smiled at him and he finally saw the Reina he remembered. It was in her smile. He couldn't help himself, tears began to gather in his eyes as she walked briskly over to him and enfolded him in a pair of oddly strong arms for a woman of her build. She spoke and he could here plain, honest emotion in her voice. "Oh, my own Naruto. My sweet little Lamb. Boy of my happy dreams." The simple, honest and Skylandic poetic words undid him and he began to cry. She pulled back from him and held his face in her hands. "Oh don't weep, don't weep let me look at you."

She stood looking at him for a long time as if he was the person she was the most overjoyed to see. She took in the man he had become and compared what she saw to the rumours she had heard.

Naruto did the same; he remembered what he could of her from her days in this court and identified how much she had changed and how much she had stayed the same. She was quite a tall woman; about the same height as Sasuke. Her build was rather skinny but there was definitely muscle there. Her face had matured and become the most celebrated beauty in the world but there were many things about her that hadn't changed and Naruto was relieved to see that one of those things was her smile.

Sakura was the Emperor's mistress; this gave her a lot of power and very few responsibilities. It would be a dream life if it wasn't for the fact that almost every member of court and no doubt almost every member of the empire too despised her. Naruto was beloved among all members of court and all citizens too and no-one liked to see him hurt, least of all by other people's selfishness. She and Sasuke had turned Naruto into a figure of pity and she didn't care. Sakura wasn't a heartless woman but Naruto's pain seemed to be something that just washed over her and the empire's pain was none of her concern. She was not involved in the country's decisions after all.

Sakura did however have the responsibility of catering for guests. This duty normally was given to the Emperor/Empress' wife or consort but if there was a mistress in the court then the duty fell to them. It was not a common occurrence seeing as many previous Emperors didn't feel the need to take mistresses. When a guest came to the court Sakura was obliged to organise the servants, ready a room, a meal and anything else the guest might need. Who would have thought it would be so hard to cater to a Princess. She had spent the best of six weeks organising the preparation of a room and her task was not made easier by the former Empress over seeing her progress. It seemed like nothing she did was good enough and when she asked the older woman why this was so she replied, "This is the leader our oldest and most powerful ally we are hosting and she is also considered my daughter. Nothing is good enough for her. If you are going to cater to guests my dear Sakura you are going to have to work harder."

Sakura tried her best. She chose a room and furnished it with the finest materials she could find. She found rooms for the Queen's ladies. She prepared a bathing chamber for the Queen. She organised the stables to make room for Queen Reina's horse and those of her ladies and finally she over saw the meal that was to be served for Reina and the Uchihas even though she wasn't invited. When she asked Sasuke why she couldn't attend he gave her a very vague reply that held no water, it was almost as if he was ashamed of her. Sakura was confused by that, he had never been ashamed of her before no matter what anyone in the court said. Why did he not want her to dine with this foreign Queen?

Whatever it was she was sure Sasuke must have had a good reason. However now she was ordered by the former Empress to prepare clothes for their guest and was on her way to deliver them to the Queen in person accompanied by two of her maids. Sakura ordered her maids to open the doors to the bathing chamber which is where she was told the Queen was preparing herself for the presentation.

Like every other person in the court she was dumbstruck by what she saw when she entered the Sky Queen's presence. First of all she didn't know which one of the nude woman was the Queen herself. All of them were laughing and frolicking in and around the large pool like bath like a bunch of nymphs. She was warned about the customs of Sukai no Kuni, she was told that they bred the best horses and grew the best medical herbs, was told that their royalty tended to favour their common folk over their lords and she was even warned about the Sky people's lack of modesty. They were definitely not shy people. Common folk in the Sky country bathed as often as people who could afford baths. What they did was they went down to a local fountain, every Sky town had one and they bathed with their neighbours letting the water wash down the pipes and fall onto the mountains. It appears their royals and nobles didn't have much more modesty. They didn't even seem to notice her presence and this annoyed her a bit. She cleared her throat and ladies stopped dancing in and around the pool. "Which of you if I may ask is Her Highness Queen Reina?"

The three ladies giggled to each other as if they knew something she didn't. "Please tell me whom among you am I to deliver these clothes to?"

Suddenly another woman surfaced from under the pool and stood up to reveal her glistening, naked body. Sakura took a step back fearing that she was some kind of water Goddess. "My own sweet ladies," she said in a charming, entirely human voice. "Tell me who our guest is."

She appeared not bothered in the slightest that she was bare in the face of a stranger. One of her ladies just said, "We don't know Your Majesty. The poor dear must have forgotten to introduce herself."

"Oh what a shame. Well I am Queen Reina of Skyland. I assume you are Lady Sakura."

"How did you know?" she said and then checked herself. "Y-your Majesty," she finished, bowing.

The Queen merely smiled genuinely at her and walked over to lying luxuriously on a cushion, towelled area where she didn't even bother to cover herself. "I assume you have clothes for me to wear today."

Sakura clicked her fingers and one of the maids walked over to the Queen holding out the clothes Sakura had taken from her own wardrobe. The Queen knew this the second she looked at them. "Your clothes I gather."

"Yes," Sakura replied. "It is the custom. An ally should confirm to the customs of the place they are visiting and that includes wearing the clothes."

"And a Queen is to wear clothes that were not made for her use but for the use of an Emperor's concubine." The Queen didn't say this with any malice or judgment. She just stated it as if it was a fact and waved her hand at the woman holding the clothes; dismissing her. "I will have something that is for my use and my use only."

"But you wore Empress Mikoto's clothes when you were last here." Sakura could have bitten her tongue for letting her say such an impertinent thing to a Queen but Reina didn't mind the tone. She didn't seem to mind much expect being dressed in Sakura's clothes no matter how beautiful they were.

"The reason for that darling swan is that Empress Mikoto was a woman with many responsibilities and an empire to take care of. I could not ask her to devote her time to dressing me. You however have time and it is your duty to cater to guests. Get me something knew or I will keep the court waiting and given the recent happenings I feel fairly sure I will not be blamed for it." She didn't say this with judgment either in fact her tone was one of sadness.

"I fear I will not have time Your Majesty. The ride will begin in a couple of hours."

Reina sighed. "Very well, don't worry yourself swan. My ladies and I will take care of it."

"But ..."

"That will be all."

Sakura sighed but bowed and made her way out of the room followed by the maids who were looking at her disapprovingly but then again they always did that. They tried to hide it and Sakura pretended she hadn't noticed. Dislike was inevitable for her.

The week-long tour of the towns was all prepared; provisions were packed, horses were saddled and a course was set out. All that was missing was Queen Reina. Lady Sakura stuck close to the Emperor, the former Empress stood as far away from her son as she could without looking ashamed and Itachi joined his mother. The hunters and guards talked among themselves, some of them rather excited as they hadn't seen her Majesty yet. Sakura was beginning to get worried. Perhaps the Queen was making good her threat to keep the party waiting but then His Highness Naruto joined the party announcing that Her Highness and her ladies were just double checking that they had all their provisions.

Moments later the Queen finally showed herself. Everyone froze. The royal family went up to her and asked her quietly why she was attired as she was. She was wearing what looked to be no more than a pure white dress that was made of material that wasn't fine and wasn't decorated. It had long flowing sleeves but they didn't cover her hands as she needed them for riding. The dress was not form fitting and was tied around her waist with a simple brown leather belt which had a string of Skyland prayer beads attached to it and she was bare foot. Her ladies were dressed almost exactly the same except they were wearing sky blue dresses. Despite Reina's attire she still looked like the Queen she was. Reina merely looked at the royal family and declared loudly, "This dress was made for me by a young girl who was just learning to sew. I would rather wear the simple clothes a young girl made especially for me than the cast offs of another Queen which is what I think Swan Sakura believes herself to be."

Everybody looked at Sakura in shock not knowing what to think but then Reina let out a hearty laugh. "But I will convey my thanks. I loathe tight, uncomfortable clothes especially when on long journeys and shoes are just another annoyance."

Most of the people in the party knew that it wasn't abnormal not to wear shoes in the Sky Country but surely it was strange for a royal to walk around barefoot. Queen Reina didn't say anything further. She just mounted her horse the way she always did, by grabbing the saddle and hauling herself up. Although this time she didn't swing her leg over to sit the way she usually did. She sat side saddle letting her dainty feet peek out from the hem of her dress. Everyone else stared for a moment but when her ladies were finished loading all the bags onto the horses they mounted and the four Skylanders began riding. As quick as they could everyone mounted their horses and began riding too, all expect Naruto who had mounted the same time as Reina and was riding beside her and her ladies. Sakura thought it was the height of impertinence that Queen Reina and her ladies seemed to be leading the royals through their own country. Sasuke noticed this too but no-one else did. Anyone who knew Princess Reina knew that there was no stopping her from leading when it came to horses. When they entered the town they knew she would pull back and follow like she should but now they just let her be up front to look at the horizon.

Queen Reina was engaged in conversation with Naruto the whole way while two of her ladies talked to each other. The third lady pulled back and rode in stride with Sakura, starting up a pleasant conversation with her. Sakura was curious about the Sky Country so she took her eyes off the Queen to turn to the exotic looking young lady who over took her in beauty. She didn't have any particularly beautiful features but like her mistress taught her she let her heart shine without for all to see and that made her a beauty. Sakura listened intently as the pleasant young woman talked about her home and answered Sakura's questions. Grania was the name of the young woman which was the name a legendary Sky Queen who commanded the sea to rise into the Sky Country and provide it with water. Sakura listened intently as she told the tale, Skyland had many great legends and many great story tellers to tell them because it was the belief of the Sky people that the imaginary world kept you cheerful in the face of the real one and that was true. Sasuke had told her that Reina had loved to tell stories and would often wake him and Naruto up in the middle of the night and take then outside into the garden just to tell them a story that she claimed she had seen among the stars.

Grania began telling Sakura about the birds of the Sky country as they bred a lot of birds for different tasks including getting things from the ground land that they couldn't. Grania was just telling her about the Honey Guide bird so named because whether it was tame or wild it would lead humans to honey in exchange for a fair share of it. "She can smell the honey," said Grania in a thick accent which Sakura quickly learned to understand. "But she can't get to it. That is why she needs our help. She leads us to the hive and we take the honey from the bees. Of course the bees are angry with us for stealing their honey so before we do we use smoke to calm them down. I use to go honey hunting with my servant when I was little who learned how to do it from her father who did it for a living. Of course the smoke calms them but it doesn't make the stings hurt any less."

"Oh dear Lady Grania are you sure you should not have done that sort of activity. Surely it was painful?"

"Yes it was but my Senga my own servant took me to do it and she didn't even whimper as she took the honey. I knew that I wanted to be as brave as her."

Just as Sakura was about to reply the party reached the first town of their tour. Reina adopted a radiant smile and pulled her horse back to fall behind Sasuke. Grania smiled at Sakura and pulled back to ride beside her mistress. The town gave exactly the reception Reina expected. They were all lined in the streets holding out prayer beads for her to touch as if she was some sort of saint. It was quite obsurd because the Sky Country were not in liege with the sprites of the elements like the empire was so they did not worship at the temple that Tsunade was the high priestess of. The Sky people worshipped the land as opposed to the elements and some people would think that that made them less powerful but they would be wrong because even though earth is one of the elements the empire's powerful people could only use it to a certain extent. The Sky people, even the common folk knew the land as well as they knew themselves and along with their legendary fighting skills their ability to talk to the landscape and understand its workings made them hard to beat. They used the earth differently because if a powerful empire noble used the land to fight then he would command it to rise and defeat his opponent whereas a Skylander would instead ask the land for its help and the land would give it freely. They were bound to the land in a similar way the sprites were. The land would protect them because they asked not because it was ordered to. The same went for water and air. All they merely did was ask for help and it was given to them readily. They didn't need the sprites. There was one downside though; there power over fire was limited as it went against their belief to destroy anything plus they could only use fire if it had already been lit because they didn't have the sprite's help in order to create fire and their power over lightening was non-existent.

A lot of empire nobles argued that the Sky people had less power because they were merely asking for the land to do their bidding and plus water wasn't always around so they would struggle to fight with it. That was normally not a problem in the Sky Country as their water was plentiful thanks to the rain and the ability of the high priests and priestess' to ask the sea to grace their world when they needed it. And a lot of Sky nobles argued that they were more powerful because no ground dweller noble or not could manipulate the sea.

There was always competition between the two beliefs but no malice. In fact many 'Ground Dwellers' as they were called found it fascinating. Reina internally shrugged and took her own prayer beads which she always had around her belt and instead of touching the prayer beads of the town's people she let her own beads touch them instead symbolising the unity of their beliefs. Mikoto smiled at her 'daughter's' wise actions. The royals then dismounted their horses and handed out alms to the people. She tried not to pull away as people kissed the hem of her dress. Naruto merely smiled at her, he was clearly not having the time of his life either as the people were looking at him with pity.

After a long day in the town was over they set up camp in a nearby forest. Sakura wanted to spend the night in a bed but Reina and many others loved sleeping under the sky. The few attendants and soldiers they brought with them put up the tents. Reina tried to help with her own but the attendants just kept fussing so eventually she gave up. By the time the camp was set up it was near dark so two of Reina's ladies lit a large fire while the other had wondered off into the woods. Reina didn't seem concerned. Soon Grania came back with something in the apron she had donned before wondering off.

"Lady Grania." Sakura asked curiously, "What have got in there?"

Grania smiled and sat down letting her apron fall into her lap. There was an abundance of honey hidden in that apron. Sakura was impressed because surely there were no Honey Guides around here.

"It was much harder to find this without my guide but I was lucky to stumble across some sleeping bees and I thought everyone needed a treat after today." She then broke it up impressively evenly and gave everyone an equal piece. No-one's piece was bigger than anyone else's. The royals got the same as the soldiers and the ladies got the same as the attendants. Sakura enjoyed her piece and as she was cleaning her hands she saw the large red marks on Grania's.

"Oh Lady Grania would you like me to treat those stings for you. They must be awfully painful," offered Sakura wanting to make herself feel useful again since being disowned by her teacher Tsunade.

But Grania just smiled and said, "No thank-you Lady Sakura. I have plenty of Polly Flower ointment with me. This counter acts the alkaline of the bee's stings better than anything else." She then pulled out a tiny bottle from the pocket of her apron.

"Surely that can't be enough," said Sasuke.

"Yes Your Majesty it is," she said respectfully. "You see the Polly flower only grows in the most remote mountains of the Sky Country. The air is so thin up there that there is only one month every year where it is safe to go and fetch some. So we are all very thankful that you only require a tiny bit to heal stings or counter act poisons because it is so rare and so hard to acquire."

The young lady rubbed a tiny amount of the clear concoction onto her stings and she had barely put the bottle way before the redness on her skin started disappearing. The people of the camp were impressed. After they had all had something to eat Reina suggested they change the atmosphere with a bit of dance. The attendants pulled instruments out of their bags and started playing a cheerful tune as Reina and her ladies stood up and danced around the camp fire as if they were the only people in the world. Sasuke and Naruto were both familiar with Sky dance as Reina had taken pleasure in forcing them to learn it so they could dance with her. Sky dance was not elegant or refined or even choreographed like empire dance. It was more like a tribal dance, you didn't think about moving you just got up and let your body move the way it wanted to. Before long many people were getting up and trying to copy the Sky Ladies but they couldn't let go of their minds and just live in the dance like they did. Naruto was able to though. He was one of the first to stand up. He closed his eyes and moved his body in rhythm with the music just letting himself go for a joyful while. Sasuke for some reason couldn't take his eyes of Naruto. He looked so peaceful, more peaceful than Sasuke ever remembered seeing him and also more beautiful. Eventually everyone had had enough and just sat back to watch the people that were still on their feet and when it was down to Naruto and the Sky Ladies no-one could withdraw their eyes. They were dancing as if they had forgotten anyone else was there and the truth was; they had.

The dance was finally over and Naruto sat down beside Reina. The both took a long drink of water and laughed heartily at nothing. Naruto was so happy; he forgot everything in those few precious times with Reina.

Grania sat beside Sakura and Sasuke saying, "His Highness looks so content."

"Hn," Sasuke replied.

"That does not please you?"

"Oh no it does."

"Hn, well just remember like I told you Lady Sakura of the Honey Guide. People are similar. They can give their help, their love and even their own selves to others but they need to get something in return because a person can only give so much before they can't give anymore. Like the Honey Guide, I don't know if I told you this Lady Sakura but if you don't give the Honey Guide its reward for helping you then next time it will lead you into a Dragon's den." That was her final word to them for the rest of the evening.

Reina's ladies took out some material from their bags and began to sew. It was obvious they were preparing clothes for the rest of the trip. Sakura wanted to make up for her mistake with the attire earlier and offered to help. After a few minutes it was obvious she was struggling. The most severe looking of the Sky ladies looked like she wanted to take the material off her as she had no patience for amateurs but then a shadow fell over Sakura's form as she frowned at the fabric. She looked up to see Queen Reina's smiling face, "Having some trouble my lady?" she said cheekily but with no negative undertone.

"Yes Your Majesty. I fear I have no talent for needle work."

Reina smiled and sat down beside her. "I had no talent for it either when I first started and I fear I am still not a mistress of the craft now. I was never interested in a lot of delicate arts. I love poetry, acting and tea making but anything else such as painting, sewing or anything else that requires a delicate touch I am hopeless at. I learned sewing from one of my mother's ladies. My mother was an excellent seamstress. The only reason I learned it was because if I were to ever get married I would be expected to portray my wifely status by making my husband's shirts. That is a marital tradition in the Sky country; the wife makes her husband's shirts and the husband forges and maintains his wife a sword."

"That is a very interesting way of portraying partnership."

"Do you believe you should start sewing Sasuke's shirts because if you want I can should you how?" There was no sarcasm or malice in the offer and Sakura wanted desperately to accept but she was reluctant because even if it wasn't a martial tradition in the empire to sew a husband's shirts doing so would obviously portray wifely status.

Just then Naruto spoke up and said without any negativity. "You should do that Lady Sakura because Sasuke has no care for the way he looks a bit like someone else I know." He shot a smile towards Reina. "He needs someone to look after his appearance and The Great Maker knows that I have spent my entire life gripping a sword so I have no hand for a needle."

Reina's eyebrows turned down so minisculely that no one saw them move but as she looked over Naruto and noticed the ruby ring on his finger she understood immediately. Two of the stones had become worthless black rocks and a third was beginning to dull. His pain was still their but it was starting to go away. He was going to marry Sasuke and take the position that was rightfully his and even though he couldn't be loved by Sasuke his ache was now disappearing which is why he had no problem with Sakura sewing Sasuke's shirts. Reina nodded at Naruto and in that nod the young empire monarch knew that his old friend understood everything and he smiled at her relieved that there was still someone out there who did and didn't judge. Another power in the Sky Country which was one only royals possessed was the gift of empathy. They could feel and understand other people's emotions. The upside to this was nothing could be hidden from them but the downside was that if someone they cared about was in pain they would feel it too.

"Thank-you Your Highness," Sakura said to Naruto. "I am ready to be taught Queen Reina."

Reina took her eyes away from Naruto and for a fraction of a second she looked like she had forgotten her whole conversation with the lady but then she smiled and said, "Well simple shirts are easy it is coming up with new ideas that is the hard part. I have my talented ladies there to help me think but I'm afraid you will have to use your imagination. Let us start with a simple plain shirt shall we?"

"Right," said Sakura nodding. After Reina taught her to sew the sleeves they both began sewing one in silence until Sakura decided she had to ask a question. "Your Majesty I hope you don't judge me on the first impression I gave you this morning. I never really apologised for..."

Reina held up a hand and said, "Apologies are not necessary. I judge no-one."

"Why is that if I may ask?"

Reina smiled, "Well it is quite a long story."

"The night is young."

"Well it was a few years before I came to this country for the first time. I had a brother, my own little brother my own little Lamb and he was the one who taught me that judging and hating people hurts no-one but your own self. My father made us a promise; a promise that once a month the four of us would go out riding as a family. No guard no attendants, just us. My brother was a more skilled rider than me at that time even though he was four years my junior and he couldn't resist challenging me to a race anymore than I could resist accepting so one month we galloped of away from our parents. I could hear my mother calling, 'not so far Lambies not so far' and my father laughing at our childish spirit.

"When we were no longer in the eye of our parents we stopped both claiming we won. Before we could finish the argument a thief dropped down from the trees and demanded that we hand over any possessions that we were carrying. I was just learning the sword but the first thing my teacher taught me was to withdraw if you can especially if the enemy is stronger so I called for father but Akash my baby brother didn't want to withdraw and talked back to the man. Before I could do anything the thief grabbed my Lambie and threw him off of the horse. Akash's head hit the tree he was thrown towards and I screamed. The thief was going through Akash's saddle bag looked back to see what he had done and he was probably shocked so he ran away." Reina was weeping quietly now but it wasn't affecting the telling of her story. "Then my parents came to find their baby bleeding and half dead. We raced him back to the palace but it was too late. There was nothing that could be done."

Sakura sat open mouthed. "How did this teach you not to judge people? Surely you should have judged that thief who took your baby brother away?"

Reina did nothing but smile through her tears. "For a while I did judge. I was angry and hatful for what it had done to my own self and my family. I was angry that my brother would never draw breath again and wouldn't grow into the great man he was sure to become. I wanted revenge, I planned it. I thought about doing terrible things to make him feel the same pain I was feeling. It was somewhere during this planning that I realised that if I did all these horrible I would become a horrible person. I would be the one to make people suffer just like I was suffering and that was selfish of me. I realised that hatred and anger and judgement can make you a bad person and I was terrified of becoming a bad person. That is my worst fear. I never want anyone to feel heartache no matter what kind of person they are. I forgave the man who stole my baby brother and do you know how I felt afterwards."

"How did you feel?"

"Free."

Sakura couldn't say anything after that she just continued to practice her sewing. Reina said her sleeve was looking good and then went over to talk to Naruto.

Naruto was eager to hear about Reina's husband and Reina was only too eager to tell. "Oh my own Naruto have I a tale to tell you about my Gideon," she said, quickly recovering from her sadness at the memory she had just told in favour being happy with the present and the future she was about to talk about. "I keep a miniature of him with me always," she said removing the large locket from her neck and handing it to Naruto. He opened it and was almost as stunned as he was when he saw Reina.

"He ... is ... beautiful," Naruto breathed.

"Isn't he," Reina smiled. The painting showed a young man in his twenties with pale ivory skin, perfect manly features, deep emerald eyes and long cascading hair this looked like it could be fire itself. "Note his hair Lambie. He could stand against the setting sun and you would not be able to distinguish his hair from the sky."

"I can believe that. How did you meet him?" Naruto asked passing the locket back to Reina who put it back around her neck and made sure it was secure before answering Naruto's question.

She smiled a smile so brilliant it would have illuminated the night if they had not had a fire. "He was one of my lesser nobles. I hadn't seen him in my court often seeing as his father was still performing his duties but later he retired and passed his responsibilities and his title onto my Gideon. Of course he wasn't mine at the time but it wouldn't be long before I ached for him to be. He was not a rich man despite his family's title so he liked to work closely with the folk who lived on his land and he preferred to share his days with them over nobles. That was what I longed to do but even in my country which is more lax than yours when it comes to position couldn't allow their Queen to spend her time frivolously with people who longed to kiss her hand just to see if she was really there." Reina seemed to have drifted off into her own memories. Everyone at the camp was listening but she didn't seem to mind. "The moment I saw him I was enchanted. I wasn't in love because I believe you have to fall in love with a person not an image so I didn't love him until I knew him but the mere sight of him gave me shivers and the ambition to want to know him. When he smiled at me my knees went weak. I was worried because that had never happened to me before. I had been attracted to men but I had never been transfixed by one. He was not a shy man. He greeted me as his Queen and like all men couldn't help but look at me. I asked him to dinner and he was surprised by the invitation but delighted by it. We ate and chatted endlessly about what we loved and what we enjoyed. The minute I heard him say he liked riding I knew I had to take him out to ride. I suggested a walk in the gardens where we exchanged fighting techniques and he said he would have to see what it was like to spar with the Queen of the Sky one day. After I was sure our dinner had settled enough I took him to the stables and we spent to rest of the evening until well beyond sunset tiring out our poor horses. I was falling for him then. The next week was spent doing various things that brought us closer and by the end of the week I loved him more than my own life.

"Months later he came into my chambers and got down on one knee. He said he was in this position not because I was Queen of Skyland, he was there because I ruled his heart. He would obey me as a Queen but only worship me as his wife. He then asked if I would be his and at that moment I knew that I didn't care what my nobles said. I said yes. The people loved him as they had heard of his kindness and his strength. I knew he would make a perfect King and even if he could only be crowned as King Consort then that would do him fine because he didn't want power. His lack of ambition to further his lands was testament to that. I knew he would be by my side forever.

"We were married in private in a secret ceremony in the Sky temple. We had told the nobles about our engagement only a few days previously and I felt guilty about ruining their plans for a royal wedding but we wanted it to be just us that were there when we became man and wife and the country would share in our joy later. Needless to say they were disappointed by the fact that there was no big fuss of a ceremony but they soon got over it when Gideon was crowned as my consort. King Consort Gideon."

By the end of the story everyone was breathless, "It wasn't just the beauty of his body I loved, it was the beauty of his heart and soul that made me able to leave him in charge of my kingdom while I am here."

"He is truly beautiful," said Naruto not knowing what else to say.

Reina fingered the locket around her neck. "Yes he is and he is so tall and strong too with broad shoulders and the muscles of a man who has worked hard. I want my son to be as strong and manly as he is and I want my daughter to have his flawless skin and amazing hair."

"You are planning children already?"

Reina smiled and said, "Let's see if you remember any of my home language that I taught you."

She then proceeded to say something in her poetic tongue. Her ladies froze at what she said and Naruto thought for a moment then he froze too, "You're having a baby?" he whispered so that no-one else could hear him and when she smiled he threw his arms around her and shouted for all to hear. "YOU'RE HAVING A BABY."

The entire camp was about to erupt into applause when she pulled back and said, "Well you are nearly right."

"What do you mean?" She could barely contain her grin as she held up two fingers. "Twins? YOU'RE HAVING TWINS."

He threw his arms around her again and this time the whole came did erupt into applause and celebration Naruto and Reina held onto each other for several minutes. Once the celebration died down Reina's ladies confronted her she waved off their concerns telling them she was pregnant not an invalid. "I am having a boy," she touched the right side of her stomach with one hand, "and a girl," she finished, touching the left side of her stomach with the other hand.

"Why did you not tell anyone this before we set out Your Majesty?" one of her ladies asked.

"Because I didn't know myself until yesterday."

"How do you know it's a boy and a girl?"

"There is a woman back at court who has a gift. She has been predicting the births of noble children for generations and out of three hundred births she has never gotten one wrong. Now I am not a superstitious person or a gambler but I am more than willing to take those odds. I sent an eagle to her just before we reached the palace yesterday and it arrived back this morning. I asked the air to carry the messenger as fast as it could and so I found out this morning."

Naruto was just so happy he felt like crying. His childhood friend was going to have not only one heir but two. She would be a wonderful mother. Reina put both her hand on her stomach and said, "We don't know when in the womb babies develop the ability to hear but we start singing them early so they can get use to our voices."

"That is ridiculous," said Sasuke.

Itachi glared at his brother and Mikoto smiled saying, "Don't listen to him my dear. I think it is sweet. I wish I had found more time to sing to my children. Music is powerful, considering how stunned you use to leave our court whenever you consented to perform for us."

Reina smiled and Itachi said, "If you sing to these babies I have no doubt they will come into this world the most contented children in the world."

"Naruto I use to sing to you when you were a child. Do you have any suggestions?"

Naruto thought for a moment and then smiled, "How about that one that starts with, 'Can ye sew cushions'?"

"That was one my mother use to sing to me whenever my father went away," said Reina with a smile. "Alright, 'Can ye sew cushions' it is."

The second Reina opened her mouth and sung the words, 'Can ye sew cushions and can ye sew sheets' everyone was silent and listening but it was clear the song was for the babies in her belly. Lyrics then came about how the babes should not worry while they were rocking on their mummy's knee while their daddy was rocking upon the salt sea. By the time she was finished no-one could move. If the babies could hear her at all this early in their growth then they were certainly contented now.

When it started to grow very late everybody retired to their tents. Sakura and Sasuke entered the Emperor's tent while Itachi and his mother retired as well. All the attendants also went to their shared tent while the soldier's discussed when they should wake each other up for shift changes. Reina's ladies wanted to stay up with her but she ordered them to sleep and she would go to her tent when she was tired. Right now she was content talking with her Lamb. Naruto didn't seem to mind still being called that by Reina. It made him feel like at least one thing hadn't changed too much and that was Reina.

"Lambie," whispered Reina when it was only the two of them still out in the open save the guards. "My empathic senses are tearing me apart every time I think about you. I see that relic on your finger and I know its powers. I hope they are serving you well."

"You don't need to worry about me Reina. It hurts but it gets better every day."

"You know Lambie, being an empath I can also feel Sasuke's feelings I long to tell you what he really feels but if there was one thing my father taught me it was that empathy is a gift and it makes you privy to people's personal feelings but that does not give you the right to air them to anyone else."

"I understand Reina. I wouldn't want you to."

Reina smiled and hooked a stray blond hair behind Naruto's ear. She looked towards the sky and said, "How about one more dance before we go to bed?" she stood up and held out her hand. Naruto smiled and took it.

They stood under the moon and held each other while swaying to no music. Reina held him tight as if she wanted to keep him together and it was working. Having Reina; the woman who could make everything better made him feel more content and safe than he had ever felt before. It was strange, many men in the world would kill to be in the arms of the most beautiful woman in the world but he was pretty sure contentment and safety would not be what they felt. Naruto rested his head on Reina's shoulder and she kissed his hair in the loving manner he remembered her doing. Her hair felt nice against his face; it wasn't silky like all the ladies of the court wanted their hair to be. It was softer, it was what you would expect to feel if you were petting a rabbit. This woman was no rabbit but Naruto still Naruto felt he could hug her forever like a child would. He didn't get a chance to do that though as Reina was pulled off of him and he opened his eyes to see the angry face of Sasuke.

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded and not long after that people started coming out of their tents to see what all the fuss was about.

"Sasuke we were just dancing," explained Naruto, rather incredulous. Sasuke seemed to have forgotten that this was their childhood friend. He seemed have forgotten that she had just spent hours talking about her husband and their impending heirs and how much she loved them all. Sasuke seemed to forget everything in his jealous rage. Naruto was close to having enough. He wanted to say something but Reina beat him to it.

The Uchihas, their attendants, the soldiers, the Sky Ladies and Sakura had all woken up and were watching with rapt attention as Reina's eyes grew wide looking at Sasuke. "So," she said quietly. "You sleep in that tent with your mistress, right next that of your fiancé," she paused and swallowed as if barely keeping tears in check. "Where he can hear you, imagine you holding her in your arms. He lies there silently and endures while you deny him the relief of a simple comforting touch. Is that what you do?" Sasuke wanted to reply in the same way he always did explaining his sins away but he couldn't as Reina clutched her stomach and covered her mouth. "Oh my stars! I think I'm going to be sick."

She then ran off into the woods where she could be out of sight. Her ladies followed her immediately. She obviously hadn't gotten very far as they could hear her sobbing loudly and her ladies saying comforting things to her. "Ah," Reina exclaimed. "The babies. The babies."

This alarmed Mikoto so much that she ran into the woods without a second thought. Naruto and Sasuke tried to follow but Itachi stopped them, "Let's not crowd her Naruto," he said gently not bothering to explain to Sasuke why he had been held back. It was common knowledge among the camp anyway. "The babies are fine my sweet Queen," said one of the ladies.

"But what kind of world am I bringing them into? Will they be fine once they arrive? My babies. My babies. What am I bringing them into?"

This worried the camp most of all. It took ten minutes for the Queen to stop crying and then a further five minutes of silence followed and Reina emerged from the woods looking as radiant and Queen like as ever. If it weren't for her distraught, red eyes you would never know what had just transpired. Sakura was silently crying, feeling fault in this whole affair. Reina walked towards Sasuke and everyone feared what was coming. "My Sasuke," she said evenly. "I am no longer you ally."

Mikoto stepped forward. "My dear Reina don't you think that is a little bit extreme?"

Reina held up her hand. "My own second father, I would never leave you all without a good reason and I certainly wouldn't leave without telling you what that reason is so please allow me to speak." Mikoto stepped back.

"Do you finally judge me Reina," Sasuke said evenly.

Reina stepped forward and put both her hands on Sasuke's face. "No Lambie no, I don't judge you. I pity you. I know your heart when you don't know it yourself. I can feel its desires and its love when you don't. Your heart is screaming at you Lambie ... but you do not listen. If you will not listen to your heart at least listen to me." She continued to talk without ever removing her hands or looking away from Sasuke. "All the things you've done. I don't judge you for them but I still know the wrongness and the consequences of these actions and my love for you all foolishly convinced me to ignore them but I can't ignore them now that they have been made all too clear to me. I love you Sasuke but I, my people ... and my babies," she said touching her stomach. "We all need an ally we can trust." She paused to kiss Sasuke's head. "And I just can't trust you anymore."

Kakashi stepped forward, "Please Your Majesty think of all the benefits for both our countries you would be throwing away ..."

Reina held up a hand, "Kakashi I am ill and tired and in no mood for your debates. This empire is on a downward spiral into chaos. It is only a matter of time before the chaos escalates and I don't want to be in the middle of that nor do I want my people to be."

The minute Reina started talking her ladies were packing up their provisions and they were all now loaded on the horses. Reina walked over to her horse and grabbed the edges of the saddle. She looked like she didn't have the energy to even put her foot in the stirrups let alone haul herself up like she always did. Lady Grania noticed this and offered her hands to help her up. Once Queen Reina was on her horse Mikoto stepped forward. "Allow us to escort you to the border, we could ..."

"No," Reina cut her off. "Our ally-ship ends here. Not at the Sky country and not at the bridge. Here and now. When my ladies and I are safely over the bridge my priests will call upon the wood and stone within it to crumble and the Sky country will be nothing more to you than a piece of land in the distance."

Many people looked like they were about to say more but Reina and her ladies rode away into the distance leaving behind what had once been a friendship beyond all others. What were they going to tell the people of the towns they were meant to visit next? They would probably guess once the Sky country's bridge crumbled there would be panic among the people. Reina was right in what she predicted; a downward spiral was in progress.

_That's it all finished. Reina goes back home to Gideon and never has contact with the empire again. It killed her to do so but it would have been even more painful to keep in touch with her old loved ones when she couldn't do anything to help them._

I love this story so much that I almost couldn't stop. I developed a little bit for the future lives. (For those of you who haven't read 'Then, Now and Forever' there is a reincarnation of the characters in a future society so here is Reina's reincarnation.)

The Sky country lost a lot of its power a number of centuries after Reina and it fell from the sky into the sea. In the present day there are only a few Sky people left who cling to the old ways, language and religion scattered across the globe. They are fugitives and have to live in secret because they don't adhere to the empires customs or rule and they are trying to find a way to raise the Sky Country from under the sea and put it back in the sky so they can live their way of life there again. The Emperor considers this treason and is trying to track these renegades down but so far his police have come up with nothing. He has also tried sending boats and divers in search of the Sky Country in an effort to destroy it but they are not able to locate it, only members of the 'Sky Order' know where it is. I suppose it's kind of like an Atlantis deal. What Sasuke and Naruto don't know is they went to University with the leader of the order Reina De Mory, a fairly well known dancer whom Sasuke even invited to dance at court on occasion (coincidently the night after her performance was the night that the Sky order received information about the court's happenings and their weapons as Reina used her charm to find out what she could. A week later, weapons, provisions, magical scrolls and other powerful things were stolen.)

I also liked the Idea of Princess Shion being a quiet supporter of the Sky order. She gives them shelter in her country discreetly when they need it.

_Also if you are interested in the 'Sky Twins' their names are Hestia and Maximus they were the first brother and sister to be crowned together with equal power and their own separate consorts._

Thank-you for reading.


	3. The Rising Sky

Naruto was ordered by Sasuke to wait at his residence for Sakura to return as he himself couldn't be there having some issue that needed to be addressed with his father. Naruto had a hunch that it was about another dead end the monarch had encountered considering the Sky Order. At first Naruto just thought they were a handful of rebels that didn't like the way Sasuke's father was running things but when Her Majesty Mikoto mentioned that they might become a threat to Sasuke once he took the throne Naruto as his protector did as much research as he could on this order. He had been taught about the fallen Sky Country in history classes at school and there were many books written although many people thought most of it was speculation.

There were books about the Skyland monarch of hundreds of years ago before the country fell into the sea and was lost forever but those books and papers were in the old Skylandic language and Sasuke's great-grandfather tried to have them shipped across the seas and translated with the help of an old Skylandic scholar. However the man died on the voyage. There was great speculation about whether or not the scholar had anything to do with his own death because it happened under very suspicious circumstances but there was really no evidence to back up the theory. So now the books couldn't be translated and the monarch had yet to find someone who could. He often thought that the scholar was part of the order and killed himself to stop Fugaku finding out too much about the Sky Country.

Fugaku always cursed at the bad luck of that man's death because if the empire knew a bit more about Skyland than just the information in books containing old tales which were never proved. All they knew for sure was some centuries ago Skyland was a floating land in the middle of the sky near the famed mountains of hope but then the waters of the sea started to moved and shift and the ground that lay under Skyland was soon over run with water. The humidity of the atmosphere changed whatever was holding up the floating country and one day it came crashing down into the sea. Many people claimed there were survivors but others said it was impossible. People started telling stories about how Skyland was still whole and hiding somewhere under the sea. At first the Uchiha's didn't take this seriously but as the Sky Order gained more power and started to cause trouble Fugaku thought it was worth looking for. He found nothing and after years of searching for the order he had come up with nothing. The icing on the cake was that recently the order had announced that they had a long awaited, prophesised leader and that leader was going to raise their home out of the sea and back into the sky where they could speak their language, practise their religion and perform their customs without having to hide it.

Some of the cleverest men in the world had been employed to translate the Skylandic books but so far they had gotten nowhere and just over a year ago there was a break in at court and most of the books were taken accept the ones Fugaku kept in his chambers as well as some of the finest weapons and provisions the palace had. Naruto had a feeling Sasuke's meeting with his father had something to do with that.

Sakura walked in looking rather shaken and worried. Naruto was at her side at once. "Are you okay Your Highness?"

"I'm not sure Naruto and please I've told you before, call me Sakura."

Naruto tried to smile but he couldn't. Sakura was the fiancé of the man he loved and while he held nothing against her for that it did still hurt to look at her. Sasuke for some reason couldn't seem to be able to make love to his future wife so when the Prince needed to release his frustrations and sate his lust he went to Naruto and that made it even worse. The blond had stopped his affair with Sasuke because he could take it anymore. Still Sasuke was so damned possessive of him he couldn't get another lover even if he wanted to so he was trapped and lonely and being alone with Sakura just made it worse. Still protecting Sasuke meant protecting what was important to him so Naruto would protect Sakura with his life. "Tell me, what happened? You're shaking like a leaf. Sit down."

Naruto went and got her a glass of water and when he came back she was sitting in the exact same place he left her. He handed her the water and then asked her again, "What happened?"

"I was out shopping and I got separated from my security. I don't know how because they are always two steps behind me. I thought it was strange because I still felt like I was being followed and then suddenly at least seven people forced me into an alley and tried to rob me. I was more than willing to give up my possessions but they looked like they were planning to kidnap me so I fought as hard as I could. Needless to say it didn't do any good. Then all of a sudden this woman appeared out of nowhere and attacks the gang that ambushed me. She was incredible Naruto you should have seen her. It barely took her four minutes to take out five men and two women. The gang left and didn't bother to take my things with them; they just wanted to get away from her. I myself was a bit scared of her at first but then she smiled and me and helped me pick up my things. I told her I could manage my bags but she said in one of the strangest voices I have ever heard, 'Oh no, no. A sweet, beautiful, little princess like you shouldn't be walking these streets alone. Allow me to be your escort.' She didn't say it condescendingly though; she said it as sort of a joke to make me feel better as I was very shaken up. We started talking and I told her my name. She said it rang a bell in her mind and she asked if I knew you. When I said yes she took out a piece of paper and asked to borrow my eye liner pencil and she said to give you this note." Sakura handed Naruto the small piece of paper. "Do you know her?"

"What did she look like?"

"Well she was quite tall and she had dark mahogany hair and green eyes," Sakura seemed to trail away when she was describing this woman. "She was a ... beautiful woman. Simply incredible, it was hard to imagine her appearing in the middle of something so horrible."

Sakura was almost wistful when she described this woman as if there were no words to describe her. Naruto only knew one person who could do that to someone. He smiled the first real smile he had in a very long time, "Did she by any chance refer to me as Lambie?"

Sakura looked surprised, "Yes she did. So you do know her."

Naruto looked down at the note in his hands. "Her name is Reina De Mory. She went to university with me and Sasuke and we became fast friends the moment we met her. She was one of the smartest people in the school and Sasuke was always competing with her. Still even if she was clever she was an adrenaline junkie and a sword wielding belly dancer. Most of us were scared to death of her. Even so she must have been one of the gentlest, most un-judgmental souls I have ever met. Plus boy could she dance; Sasuke even invited her to dance at court and everybody adored her there. I found it hard to believe such a 'wild child' could fit in with royalty but then again it's hard not to like Reina."

"She must be like you then," Sakura said picking up on how much Naruto obviously adored this woman. She had seen many people talk about Naruto in that fashion.

Naruto was confused, "I'm sorry?"

"You're like that. You are one of those people it is very hard not to like."

Naruto smiled and opened the note. He read it and smiled, "She wants me and Sasuke to go out with her one night now that she is back in town. Listen to this, 'Hi Lambie, I hope you missed me because if you tell me you didn't it would break my heart. There is a motorcycle stunt display on in town tonight and you and my other favourite Lamb Sasuke are coming with me. Attire is casual and arguments will not be permitted.'"

Sakura and Naruto chuckled at that part.

"'Tell Sasuke that if he doesn't come he will be sorry because as he will remember from University, I have a wonderful talent for picking locks and disabling alarm systems and I have the skills to get around that pathetic security personnel of his (that does not include you Naruto you are awesome).

All my love, Reina.'"

Naruto tucked the note into his pocket and said, "I am going to enjoy telling Sasuke this."

Sakura was nervous; she didn't know why. She had already met the woman who was coming round to her and Sasuke's residence but that was just when she was a kind stranger now she was Naruto and Sasuke's dear friend and she felt like she had to make an effort to impress the woman since from what Naruto had told her about her she was pretty amazing. At university she did advanced degrees in the arts of war, politics and psychology and she also participated in a lot of clubs including drama, dance, singing, martial arts and many more but her true love was her motorcycle. She was addicted to anything fast and furious and when Sasuke had told her that, it started to make sense why she had invited them to a stunt display show. A message had been left on their answering machine to say that Sakura was invited too and Reina wouldn't take no for an answer.

Sasuke insisted Reina come round early so they could have a few drink and catch up. The knock at the door made Sakura jump, she felt like she should be the good hostess and answer it but she was sure that a woman like Reina would be able to spot her discomfort right away and she didn't want to give the wrong impression. Luckily Sasuke came in, not quite running but walking at an excited pace with a look of anticipation on his face. He opened the door and their stood Reina in all her natural beauty; hair untidy, no make-up, baggy t-shirt, leather trousers and matching jacket. Sakura felt a slight surge of envy run through her. She had to spend ages making herself look and feel good and yet this woman could throw anything on and do nothing with her hair and face and still look like ... well ... that!

However Sakura's attempts to make herself look better mostly stemmed from the fact that Sasuke wouldn't touch her when they were in bed together. She had tried everything to make herself more attractive but nothing had worked. She just had to convince herself that Sasuke would come around in time.

The second Sasuke opened the door Reina jumped on him wrapping her arms around his neck and clamping her thighs onto his hips. Sakura waited for Sasuke to throw her off in an annoyed fashion but he didn't, he just chuckled at her antics and hugged her back. Then he took a hold of her waist, she must have been light as a child because he lifted her over his head with very little strain. She giggled as if the grasp on her waist was tickling her and then Sasuke put her down and they hugged again. "Oh Lambie, Lambie I have missed you so much."

Sasuke pulled away and looked at her with mock annoyance, "How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me Lambie?"

"Sasuke I don't care if you are the crowned prince and are use to getting you way all the time; were you the King you would still be my Lambie, were you a God it would make no difference."

Sasuke chuckled again and pulled her into his residence. "I have been told you have already met my fiancé Sakura and I would like to give you my personal thanks for saving her."

"Oh now how could I call myself a warrior if I didn't help such a sweet princess when she was in need."

Sasuke chuckled again and Sakura offered Reina a drink. She said she would have just one as she needed a little buzz going to displays like this but she wanted to be awake and alert for the performance as she had a no tolerance for alcohol. Sasuke informed her that Naruto had some business to take care of and would be joining them shortly. Reina let out a sigh but then her smile came right back.

"So Reina," asked Sakura, desperate to make conversation. "Tell me; Naruto says you studied the arts of war, politics and psychology at university, may I ask what field you are in now?"

"Oh I like to dabble in a lot of different thing. I have recently returned from travelling and have acquired many skills. I am a licensed psychologist and I see quite a few patients but I also do some self defence teaching at a local youth centre set up by my cousin. He named it after my late brother Akash who was killed in a gang fight."

"Oh yes the Akash youth centre," exclaimed Sakura. "I have heard that that place helped get many children off of the streets."

"Well no-one else is doing anything about it."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, "Reina we had this discussion many time in university. Resources are just not..."

"Yeah, yeah I took politics I know all about resources and I hear things in court when I come to dance I know exactly where such resources are going," Reina paused and Sasuke lowered his head, something Sakura had never seen him do. What was it about this woman's opinion people valued so much? "Anyway," Reina said, smile returning to her face, "I came here to see my old friend not the crowned prince so politics should be the last thing we should be discussing. Let's move on to happier thoughts like your wedding."

There were no happy thoughts' going through anyone's head on that topic and Sasuke resented that Reina (as was her nature) pretended to be ignorant of the fact. "Naruto tells me you are also a dancer," said Sakura changing the subject.

"Why yes I am. That is another thing I do to keep myself busy. I dance in clubs ... not for tips if that is what you are thinking Sasuke."

Sasuke smiled, "I was thinking no such thing."

"The sort of dance I do is sort of a modern combination of belly dance and tribal dance. Would you like me to show you some?"

"Oh I couldn't possibly ask you."

"It's no problem. You know that most men in the world are more aroused by a woman the more they see her body move."

Sasuke silently wondered if Reina knew about his troubles in the bedroom. There was every chance she did but if that was true then what was this game she was playing now? Reina asked where the music was kept and Sasuke not wanting the insightful woman poking through his stuff and finding out more about him decided to go and get it himself. When the music was on Reina started moving her body the way Sasuke had seen her do at court. She put in no less or more effort now than she had then. It was as if she was dancing for herself and herself alone.

After a while she came over to where Sakura was seated, held a hand out to her and said, "Come, let me teach you."

Sakura was about to protest but Reina pulled her off the couch and wrapped her arms around her waist in such an intimate gesture that Sakura blushed, her cheeks turning the same colour as her hair. She looked at Sasuke for help but all he did was look amused. Reina then took Sakura's hands and guided her across the room in fluid beautiful gestures that Sakura started to feel herself floating away and her body was moving in such sensual ways that Sasuke was bound to be aroused by her by the time she got the hang of this.

Naruto then walked into the room and smiled at Reina as she guided Sakura across the floor. "Alright flower," said Reina. "You sit down and allow me and Naruto to show you how it is down."

Then without warning Reina grabbed Naruto's hand and lead him across the floor. Reina had taught him to dance so he knew better the Sakura what he was doing. He followed Reina's hip movements with his own and allowed his body to float along with the music. Sakura was smiling at how good a dancer Naruto was until she looked at her fiancé and saw that his face was a brewing storm. Naruto picked Reina up and swung her into the air and then pulled her down his lips kissing her stomach; it was obvious they were telling a lover's story with this dance. Sasuke didn't seem happy about that and the minute Naruto floated to his knees in front of Reina the prince got up and turned off the music. For a moment it looked like Naruto and Reina were going to continue dancing but they stopped and looked at the prince who was shaking with anger.

"Shouldn't we be setting off? We don't want to be waiting in line too long to get in to this display do we?" Then without waiting for an answer Sasuke grabbed his coat and walked out.

Sasuke stood in the cold air waiting for his companions. He was so angry when he saw Reina and Naruto performing such an intimate dance and he wanted to grab Naruto and say that even if he wasn't sleeping with him anymore he still belonged to Sasuke but he couldn't say that with Sakura in the room and he wouldn't dare say that in Reina's presence. He couldn't even say it to Naruto when the evening was over because it would be despicable that Sasuke got jealous of Reina when she was like a sister to both of them. Naruto usually allowed Sasuke to dictate who he saw and who he talked to, where he went and who he touched but Sasuke knew that Naruto wouldn't stand for him telling the blond that he wasn't allowed to dance with Reina when the younger man had been the happiest Sasuke had ever seen him since he heard Reina was back in town and back in their lives. He couldn't tell Naruto not to dance with her or touch her because it was her gentle, un-judgmental love that made his situation almost bearable.

The line wasn't too long but it was a good wait. Sasuke offered to get them to the front of the queue but Reina was having none of that. "Tonight we are just old college friends out for a bit of fun. If I wanted to take the crowned prince and his companions out for the night I certainly would not have chosen this place."

So Sasuke huffed and decided that to avoid a possible riot it was better that they wait inconspicuously in line with everyone else.

Inside the arena around two thousand screaming motorcycle enthusiasts, stunt fanatics and adrenaline junkies were positioned around a large open space. There was sand and gravel on the ground so that the motorbikes would get a good grip but there was no stunt equipment anywhere to be seen. However Sasuke guessed that there must be so many different stunts being performed tonight so they would have to be changing the set constantly.

"Oh and before I forget; near the end of the show I have got a surprise for all of you and don't ask me what it is or it won't be a surprise. For now let's just enjoy the show."

"Oh yeah," Sasuke said sarcastically. "Why wouldn't I enjoy a bunch of crazy attention seekers perform what are little more than suicide attempts that are meant to fail."

Reina chuckled at Sasuke's good natured jab and then turned her attention to the arena as the presenter of the display started talking in a big booming voice through his microphone. The first stunt was called 'The Seven Circles of Hell' well named as the aim of the stunt was for the rider to jump through seven flaming hoops on his motorbike each one hard to jump through than the last. The first one was just a simple large ring, the second was a slightly smaller one, the next one was much higher of the ground than the others, the fourth was one that rolled back and forth across the ground as if a child was pushing it along with a stick, the next was bobbing up and down, the sixth was contracting and expanding and the last one was lying horizontally unlike the others, levitated off the ground and the motorcyclist obviously had to jump up and land in the centre of it to end the stunt. Sakura closed her eyes shortly after the stunt started but Naruto and Sasuke kept watching. The rider cleared every hoop like it was child's play and raised his arms towards the crowd once he landed inside the last one. Reina cheered at the top of her voice and jumped up and down in excitement. A relatively handsome man in front of them turned around and said with a flirtatious smile, "Excuse me miss but would you like to elevate yourself onto my shoulder's so you can see better?"

Reina smiled and said, "You sure you can take the weight?"

Sakura knew she must be joking as she had seen how easily both Sasuke and Naruto had lifted Reina over their heads and this man was rather muscular. He looked her up and down playing her little teasing game and said, "I have had chips on my shoulder that were bigger than you."

Reina smiled again and grabbed a hold of his shoulders, using upper body strength to elevate herself onto them without any assistance. The young man was obviously surprised by this display of strength but he got over it as soon as the announcer shouted out the name of the next stunt. Naruto watched with anticipation, Sasuke watched with amusement and Sakura _didn't _watch most of it.

When the last stunt was performed Sasuke and Sakura sighed in relief as they thought the evening was over but not quite. The announcer said, "Now we have got a surprise for you. A new lady on the block dares to tell us that she can take on all our best stuntmen. What do you say people?"

The crowd all shouted, "No, Way."

"Hell no."

"This chick is crazy."

Then the presenter said, "Oh but we have her here today to test that theory. She is sitting among you tonight."

Reina, still on the man's shoulders turned to her companions. "Remember that surprise I told you all about?"

"Her name is REINA DE MORY. Where is she?"

Reina cheered from the man's shoulders and a spot light fell on her. Sasuke was about to pull her off the man and tell her they were leaving and she was not going to do something crazy like she always did. He didn't get the chance though as Reina jumped down from the man's shoulders and with a quick thank-you to him disappeared into the crowd. The next time her friends saw her was when she was standing next to the announcer.

"So you believe you are the best Reina?"

"Damned right."

"Well why don't you tackle the 'Bed of Nails'?"

As the announcer shouted the name the eyes of Naruto Sasuke and Sakura went towards what the stage crew had just finished setting up with impressive speed. It was two ramps that stretched over three quarters of the arena space and in between those two ramps there was a large square filled with giant spikes. If Reina misjudged this she could impale herself.

The beautiful young dare devil was lead to a large red bike and Sasuke could swear he saw her stroking it as the stage crew placed a matching helmet over her head.

"READY," the announcer shouted, "SET" Reina revved the bike. "GOOOOOOO!"

Reina set off at a startling speed and Sakura for once found that while she was terrified she couldn't tear her eyes away like she was watching a car accident. The young stunt woman flew off the ramp and over the spikes. While she was in the air she did a perfect handstand on the handles of her bike, landing perfectly on the opposite ramp but clearly Reina thought that wasn't impressive enough so without stopping she turned the bike around and shot for the ramp once again. This time she did a summersault in the air and landed back on her bike. She barely made it over the ramp but it was enough. She swerved the bike and stopped. She yanked her helmet off and pumped a fist into the air screaming her lungs out. The crowd did the same. Cheering and jumping up and down at the excitement. Naruto was no different whereas Sasuke and Sakura looked like they were about to have strokes. Sasuke had never seen Reina perform before but Naruto had so while he was worried he had reason to have faith that she would make it and he was so proud of her.

The announcer ran over to Reina and shouted into his microphone over the crowd, "How old are you Reina?"

"Nineteen," she shouted back.

"NINETEEN YEARS OLD PEOPLE. NINETEEN."

The cheering if it was possible; got louder. By the time the crowd had calmed down. Reina had made her way back up to her friends all the while getting pats on the back and congratulations from the audience she passed. When she reached then she said, "I have been invited to the after show party. You guys want to come?"

Naruto was the only one who looked keen. Sakura looked like she was going to faint and Sasuke looked like he wanted to hit Reina. Sasuke declined and Reina knew that meant he was declining for Naruto too so she shrugged her shoulders and said, "Well, your loss. I'll call you all tomorrow just encase you want to know if I'm still alive."

Sasuke didn't look amused at the joke so Reina stepped closer and hugged him and offered a very cute apology for making him worry. Sasuke said he wasn't worried he was just angry at her stupidity. Reina's smile didn't faultier and it looked like nothing could make it and that more than anything made Naruto happier than he could remember being.

Naruto stood in front of the silver coloured door and checked the piece of paper in his hand to make sure it was the right address but it was so he shrugged and knocked on the door. Before long it opened and revealed a familiar face. Reina was dressed in a baggy white t-shirt, jeans with the knees ripped and a large welcoming smile. She hugged him the second she saw him and ushered him into the apartment where he smelt soup on the stove. The place was very nice; it was open plan which suited Reina fine. She like open spaces and hated halls and corridors. They made her feel constrained. The apartment also had a very large window which looked out onto the city. Before Naruto entered he wondered if the place was Reina's as from the outside it didn't look bright or welcoming which was probably because it was a converted warehouse but when he stepped inside the space he knew it had Reina written all over it. He looked towards the kitchen and saw that Reina had rushed over to the stove to sir her soup which was almost burning. Reina was a terrible cook. Naruto had eaten her meals out of politeness and an unwillingness to hurt her feelings plus she knew this and always had a stash of ramen ready for him after he took a few bites of her latest attempt at an edible dinner.

Reina ladled some of her soup into a bowl and grabbed two spoons. "I made vegetable soup although I can't really remember what vegetables I put in. Try it with me please?"

Naruto smile and picked up one of the spoons. They both took a spoonful, made a face and then giggled at each other. Reina then threw the soup down the skin and got out a tub of instant ramen. Naruto noted that the kettle was already boiled so she had expected this. When his ramen was ready she brought it over to her friend.

"What's his name?" asked Naruto as he took the tub.

"I'm sure I don't know what you are talking about."

"What's he like?" Naruto persisted.

Reina got a shy, euphoric look on her face and smiled in a girlish fashion. It was a look that Naruto never expected to see on Reina's face. The only person he knew less likely to get that look was Sasuke. "He's strong. And he's kind."

"Handsome?"

"Beautiful," she said with a great emphasis on the word. "He has these amazing eyes that just ... and this flaming red hair and on my god his smile." She sighed and lay down to let her head rest in Naruto's lap.

"You are so infatuated."

"I am not," she indignantly denied.

"What's his name?" Naruto asked again.

"Gideon."

"Oh yes you have so got it bad."

"Stop saying that," she said playfully as she sat up and slapped her younger friend gently on the arm.

"Oh really well what do you call this? _Gideon,"_ he copied in an exaggerated wistful voice.

"I did not say it like that."

"Where did you meet him?" Naruto asked bypassing the argument.

"Remember a couple of weeks ago I took you to that stunt show?"

"How could I forget? I had Sasuke bitching about how stupid you can be for two days."

"Yeah I guess I can be pretty stupid but if I don't take risks I don't have fun and if I don't make mistakes then I don't learn anything."

"I guess that makes sense. So tell me what did you learn from your little show?"

"I learned that after a good show there is always an even better after party. I was at the party not long after you three left and I was having drinks and getting to know people when I suddenly felt like I was being watched and you know when I get that feeling I am usually always right. No-one in university was able to sneak up on me not even you my Lambie," Naruto chuckled as he knew it was true. He took martial arts with Reina. She was strong for her stature but she wasn't the strongest in the class. However despite this she still managed to use her other skills like her speed and her instincts to make sure that no-one who wasn't worthy would land a hit on her. Naruto was one of the few who managed to do so but it wasn't from sneaking up on her. He had tried and failed time and time again but there was no shame in it. Not even Sasuke thought so. "Well I looked around as discreetly as I could and I found no-one then I spotted this bright red flash. It was only there for a moment but it was enough I knew it was going around the corner and I followed it. I must have not been on my game that night because before I knew it I was pinned to the wall out of sight of anyone but my captor. I could have got out of the hold if I wanted to but the minute I saw two emerald stones looking at me I feel ashamed to even say to you that I melted."

"Don't feel ashamed Reina. Believe me I know how you feel all too well."

Reina nodded knowing exactly what he meant but didn't comment on it further. She continued with her story instead. "He smiled at me and said, 'I'd say you were an angel but I know that no angel could clear the bed of nails twice in a row without losing their wings to the spikes. Tell me; what should I call you?' While being captivated I hadn't lost my senses so I replied, 'You can have mine if you give me yours.' He smiled and let my wrists go. 'I am the mechanic of this show. My name is Gideon Sky. I often go by I different last name considering everything that is happening.'"

"Why did he tell you?"

Reina though about an answer, she hated lying to Naruto but it wasn't safe to tell him who she was right now, he loved her more than his own life but Sasuke would always come first with him and that would mean doom for her if she told him the truth. "Isn't it obvious Lamie? It's fine to tell individuals his name as they wouldn't avoid him just because he happens to have a surname linked to the battle Sasuke's father is fighting but employers and companies are going to be a little bit more suspicious.

Naruto was satisfied but Reina's insides churned as she remembered what the beautiful redheaded man had really said, 'I see you at the Sky order meetings and I can't take my eyes off you especially when you stand up and speak to our people. It gives me hope again but you never see me. I told myself it was just that you were too absorbed in our cause especially now that we are so close to raising the Sky Country and when I saw you at the stunt show today I decided to test that theory. I have been to so many of these after parties so I usually don't come anymore but I came tonight and you knew I was there. You looked for me and now you see me. Tell me my Queen; what do you see?"

Reina could move or talk for a few seconds but then she managed to say, 'Why did you call me your Queen?'

'I am a seer my Reina and I know something you don't. You are the reincarnation of our legendary Sky Queen.'

Reina told him he was crazy, that her parents had just named her after the old Queen but then he took her back to his place and like a fool she couldn't stop herself form following him, stranger that he was. He showed her the long lost books that he was the keeper of. He showed her a copy of a painting of the Queen and it was her exact image. She still refused to believe it but Gideon weighed her down as he said he knew she had been having dreams about being a Queen and her two friends Sasuke and Naruto as an estranged royal couple. He said he knew they were painful dreams and together they could stop history repeating itself. If it was anyone else Reina would have bashed his head in for even knowing Naruto and Sasuke's connection with her but every fibre of her being was screaming that this was the truth and she leaned in to kiss the man with tears running down her face.

She had never felt such passion in her life. Nor had she ever been fucked so hard and she took great pleasure in telling Naruto every detail about that experience.

"Naruto?" Reina asked in a questioning voice.

"Yes?"

"Would you please not tell Sasuke about this?"

"Why?"

"I have my reasons."

"Reina, do you not trust Sasuke?"

Reina looked right into Naruto's eyes and said with heart wrenching honesty, "Naruto, I love Sasuke with my whole entire heart but if he told me the sky was blue I fear my head would reflexively tilt upwards just to make sure."

"Ok Reina I promise. This conversation will be just between us."

Naruto may not have known what Reina was hiding from him, neither was he suspicious that she was concealing anything but if there was one thing he did know it was; Reina was in love with this man and he better treat her like she deserved or he would coming knocking on his door and the visit would not be pleasant.

Fugaku screamed in frustration as the calls came flooding in about a huge piece of land rising out of the sea. The water however wasn't flooding any towns or anything like that. Some force was stopping that from happening. It was the legendary powers of the Sky people. Obviously there were still some people alive who knew how to wield them. The thing he had tried so hard to stop from happening had finally happened. The legendary land that was independent from the empire had finally raised itself like all the books he had studied promised it would. He use to think it was just an old threat from ancient monarchs who didn't want to let go of their power but now it had been proved that they had been telling the truth. Who knew how many Sky people were still out there. There couldn't be a lot so he could probably launch an attack on the Sky Country but his advisors told him it was protected by old magic. Something they couldn't wrap their heads around. The leader of the Sky order's name had yet to be revealed but it wouldn't be long before their people had to make contact with the ground world.

Sasuke rushed over to Reina's apartment in a mad rush. She sounded very urgent on the phone and Reina never sounded like that. The young prince's knuckles started to hurt as he banged on the large front door. Reina opened it calmly with a serene smile, "Hello Lambie," she said.

Sasuke rushed into the apartment, "What the hell is going on Reina?" he said before his eyes registered someone else in the room. He was without a doubt one of the most beautiful men Sasuke had ever seen. A God of fire was what best described the way he looked. The young prince looked towards Reina for an explanation. All she did was turn on the television which was showing a news report. Sasuke turned to look at the TV and saw a filming of the huge piece of land rising out of the water. Citizens were scrambling because they thought they were going to be drowned in water but the salty liquid never connected with the land. Sasuke couldn't tear his gaze away. He had heard the panicked news on the streets but he wasn't sure whether not to believe it. Reina eventually turned the TV off and gently lowered Sasuke on the sofa in her living room.

"What is going on here Reina? And who is he?"

"I am Gideon Sky; newly appointed Lieutenant General of the Sky order. I gather that you know General De Mory."

Sasuke sat with his mouth open and his eyes wide, "General ..."

Sasuke stood up with an infuriated look on his face and for a moment it looked like he was going to try and fight Reina but he knew he couldn't defeat her at the best of times and with this guy in the room who was just below her in rank he stood no chance. His second thought was to run for the door but when he got to it he found that it was locked, "It's no good Sasuke. I'm not letting you run to your father until you here everything I've got to say."

Sasuke continued to pull at the door; he couldn't believe that someone he loved as much as Reina could be his enemy. He then felt a pair of warm familiar arms around him and he slipped into unconsciousness.

_Reina was beautiful; there was no-one like her in this world. No matter where she was or what she was doing no-one could deny that she was a woman unparallel. The frightening sense of déjà vu and the fact that he was somewhere in the past and there was a motorbike making its way down the road told Sasuke this was a dream. _

_Sasuke wasn't home, he knew he wasn't but it felt like home. He felt like he had been here before. It was definitely not the time for motorbikes to be cruising around. Suddenly the motor bike stopped in front of him. Sasuke looked behind him and he realised that he was standing next to a castle and standing in front of the stables. The rider of the motorbike took of her helmet and for some reason Sasuke wasn't surprised to see that it was Reina. She had been here before too. She set her bike inside the stables and made her way into the castle via the servant's entrance. She was dressed in her usual black leather trousers and jacket and was wearing a crisp white top underneath that seemed to shine like some kind of heavenly grace. She didn't belong in this time and neither did he but they had certainly been here before._

_Sasuke followed Reina into the palace and it wasn't long before she started running. She ran as fast as she could and somehow Sasuke managed not to lose her. After running for at least three minutes and scaling several flights of stairs in the incredible palace that looked so barren when it should have been bright and full of love, Reina burst in through large double doors that should have had guards placed outside but they didn't. _

_What Sasuke saw made his blood turn to ice. He saw himself kneeling on the ground half dressed in fine silk with blood covering his hands and his clothes. He was weeping silently. That however was just the beginning of the horrors in this room. Behind the dream Sasuke was Naruto lying on a huge bed; dead._

_Sasuke felt sick and retched but he could not be sick. He didn't exist in this world._

"_Oh Lambie what have you done?" asked a tearful but unsurprised voice._

"_I love him Reina. I love him," said the bloody Sasuke ._

"_Why Sasuke? Why did you do it?"_

"_I love him Reina. I wanted to be with him but ..." he couldn't finish that sentence._

_Reina let out a breath of air that sounded like a joyless laugh. "Oh," she said, "You love him," then she got a cold look on her face. "Do you have any idea how inadequate that sounds?" She walked over to Sasuke and gently took his head in her hands, pressing her forehead to his. "You had to realise your feelings now when it was too late."_

"_Tell me what to do Reina. You made the nightmares go away when I was little do it for me now please. Make it stop."_

"_I can't Lambie. This is the point of no return. This world is going to crash and burn thanks to your selfishness." As always there was no condemnation in her voice, just soul crushing sadness. "But you will be given another chance."_

_Sasuke grabbed the hands that were holding his head. "How, Reina? Tell me how, please."_

"_This is the end for you Sasuke." She paused and sobbed. "Sasuke he was somebody's friend. He was somebody's brother. He was somebody's child. And you and your Sakura," she gave him a weak punch on the arm, "destroyed him from the inside out. Now you are done." She stood up. "This is the end." As she began to walk away Sasuke grabbed her hand. "Sasuke if you love him, if you ever loved him you will make this right."_

"_HOW?" Sasuke cried at the top of his lungs, tears staining his face._

"_You will be given a second chance. Don't make these mistakes again."_

_Then Reina walked away. She wasn't walking back towards the door; she was walking towards a white light and the Sasuke who had watched all of this followed her. He heard her voice begin to sing._

_Sleep my friend I'll watch over you  
The moon is here and the stars adore you  
Close your eyes and sleep just fine  
Said my guardian angel once upon a time_

Sasuke felt softness underneath him and realised he was lying on a sofa. He didn't know where but then he remembered the voice; it was still singing. Reina was kneeling on the ground beside him stroking his hair and singing sweetly.

Sasuke was just about to jump up until Reina held his shoulders and shushed him. "You were having a bad dream Lambie." The young prince silently hoped that the bit about Reina being the Sky Order's General was a dream but when he saw a flash of red and registered the other person in the room he knew it wasn't. "Gideon is here to explain everything. Your dream will make much more sense when he is done."

The fire god whose name was Gideon walked over to a shelf in Reina's spacious apartment. He removed a couple of books and a small box. He then walked over to the couch and sat beside Reina on the coffee table facing Sasuke.

"It's time you learned the truth."

"The truth about what?"

"That terrible mistake you have made and are doomed to repeat if you don't change."

Sasuke turned to Reina and glared at her, "What the hell is he talking about and why are you keeping me here? Am I a prisoner of war?"

"No Lambie you are not. My people do not want war and that is exactly why we have brought you here."

"Are you trying to convince me that my father should just drop his fight to stop your defiance against his rule?"

Gideon spoke up, "Only people who live in his kingdom should abide by his rules. We will no longer be members of your kingdom Sasuke so there will be no need to fight us anymore because we have resurrected what use to be the only land cut off from the empire. A land which had a fruitfully ally-ship with your land before ... Reina?" He indicated, asking the general to take over.

"Until you made a grave mistake."

"What are you babbling one about?"

Gideon is a seer Sasuke he knows what happened to our kingdoms hundreds of years ago and why we were destined to meet. We need to correct that long made mistake. We need to make sure history doesn't repeat itself." She paused and sighed. "Tell us what you saw in that dream Sasuke."

"It is none of your business what I dream."

You were dreaming of your previous life. I have been having such dreams too. Honestly Sasuke I am not losing my mind it just didn't make sense until I met Gideon."

"I will prove it to you like I proved it to her," said Gideon in his mystifying voice.

He picked up one of the books and turned to a particular page. There was a copy of painting of Reina but above the painting it said, 'Queen Reina: The Golden Age' and then it listed her birth date, her coronation date, her marriage date, the birth dates of her children and her date of death.

"This is Queen Reina," said Gideon. "This book is over 300 years old. Does she look familiar?"

Sasuke sat dumbstruck for a second and shook his head viciously, "Coincidence," said Sasuke throwing the book back to Gideon.

The man merely set the book aside and picked up another. He turned to a certain page. "Read," he said.

Sasuke sighed but obeyed, just wanting to get this over with and leave so he could inform his father although he was seriously considering not doing that. Not because of what they were saying but because he never wanted to be Reina's enemy and he was pretty sure she didn't want to be his. He also knew that she was going to let him go after she was done. She would never keep him here and he knew that.

"This is a book documenting Skyland monarchs. This is Queen Reina and this is her final words preceding her death."

"My time in this life is drawing to a close and I have lost much," Sasuke read. "I have had to give up dear friends because I couldn't give them my trust anymore. I have seen loved ones die slowly from broken hearts and I know that is exactly what allies me now. I only wish it didn't have to come to this but I know what I must do. I must leave this world but I cannot rest peacefully because when the Lambies need a Sheppard I will rise again."

"That was the prophecy of Queen Reina and I see now that it is coming true," said Gideon as Sasuke finished reading. "I was lucky enough to recover my memories of this life because it was my duty to remind everyone else."

"So who are you suppose to be?" asked Sasuke in a mocking tone.

Gideon didn't rise to the bait he merely picked up the first book he had shown Sasuke and found another painting and handed it to Sasuke. On that page was a likeness of the man's beautiful face and above it said, 'King Consort Gideon: The Golden Age' it listed the same dates it had on Reina's picture and apparently this man had been married to the aforementioned Queen.

"Right," said Sasuke, his voice still mocking. "We are all reincarnated royals and history is repeating itself."

"Only this time you have a chance to change. Don't you see Sasuke," said Gideon. "This was all preordained when you made that fatal mistake all those years ago."

"What mistake?"

"You know Lambie. You saw it in your dream."

"It was just a dream."

"Dreams are often made to mirror reality," said Reina.

"Your mistake is only recorded in one place and that is Queen Reina's diary." He pulled out the final book, "I have been the keeper of these books ever since my father died and I have treasured this one above all. I would give it to you but I can't so I have made copies for you. Read them at your convince and then tell me the woman who wrote these is not your Reina."

He then grabbed the box he had retrieved when he picked up the books. He opened it and inside was a large locket. "I have wanted to show you this since the moment I saw your face but I know that I can do it now."

Reina took the locket and looked inside. There, was a picture of Gideon on the right and two redheaded children on the left.

Sasuke stood up and stormed out. Thankfully the door was no longer locked but he didn't leave without picking up the diary copies. Neither Reina nor Gideon tried to stop him. The last thing he saw before he slammed the door shut was Reina putting on the locket.

The Prince didn't know what to do. How could he tell Naruto that their most beloved friend was in fact their enemy and one that his father was apparently powerless to fight? The old magic that was in their bones made them almost untouchable unless his father could get his hands on those books Gideon said he was the keeper of but no doubt those books were safely in the Sky Country by now. He looked down at the journals in his hand. He was tempted to just hand them straight into his father but the idea that that could the private thoughts and feelings of his much loved friend gave him pause. He would read them first and then make his decision. He knew in his heart that he would probably not be seeing Reina again for a long time so the desire to hold anything he had of hers close to him was immense.

What mistake were her and her seer 'husband' talking about? And what the hell was that dream? If he didn't get that out of his head pretty soon he would have to talk to someone who specialised in these kind of things. What was the name of that priestess again? Shion? If he had this dream again something had to be done.


	4. Touch the Sky

_This idea just popped into my head while I was watching Game of Thrones. If I was Naruto in this story I would want to learn about seduction by the most sought after woman in the world. This is a little bit steamy and takes place while Reina was a ward in Emperor Fugaku's court._

Naruto loved Reina with his entire heart. There was no-one in the world like her. She was the only person Naruto felt like he could tell everything to and not worry about what she thought because as far as she was concerned it wasn't her business to make judgments especially when it came to people's feelings so when he invited her to dinner, just the two of them that night he was pretty sure he knew what he wanted to say to her. She had been the ward of Emperor Fugaku and Empress Mikoto for quite a while now and everyone at court was enamoured with her including himself and Sasuke.

Naruto looked at her across the table and she just sipped her wine waiting for him to say something. She wasn't going to ask him any questions and she would eat this dinner in complete silence and go straight to her chambers without saying a word if Naruto decided he had nothing to say. That was one of the things that Naruto didn't like about her. She may not have been nosey which was good but sometimes she kept to herself too much which meant that someone else always had to make the first move and that was frustrating.

Naruto took a grape from the fruit bowl in the middle of the intimate sized table and placed it in his mouth. Reina smiled her usual mischievous smile which to someone who knew her well made her look slightly less beautiful and slightly more dangerous. If she had told Naruto anymore than she already had about her mischievous ways then he might have been slightly afraid of what was going through her head. The young blond boy looked at his most trusted friend and took a deep breath, "Tell me about royal marriages in the Sky Country."

Reina didn't look surprised by the abruptness of the question as if she knew it didn't come out of nowhere. "Well the royals and the nobles try and make as many love matches as they can because a happily married leader can make a harmoniously run country but sometimes love has to be made a secondary concern. I hope to find love one day but I may need to marry for some other reason. I am a hopelessly passionate girl but I will not make myself a fool on account of it."

"Are there any rituals that the man and the woman go throw first?"

"You mean like courting?"

"No."

Reina knew exactly what he meant and her scary smile got wider, "Well as you know, every woman with an education is taught how to please her husband but only Skylandic men are taught how to please their wives. We are of course taught separately but there are times when the two classes are brought together to merge the knowledge so that both parties are harmonious when they go to bed. My parents actually met in one of those classes. My mother was the only one with enough courage to tell the Crowned Prince he was doing it wrong." Naruto and Reina laughed out loud and Reina threw her head back revealing the graceful lines of her muscular throat. She didn't have the nicest skin Naruto had seen on a woman as she spent a lot of time doing activities that battled the elements and plus she had sustained a lot of wounds with all the sparring she did so her skin wasn't the softest or fairest in the world but it still begged to be licked.

"So," said Naruto, "You know what is required of a spouse to please their partner whether they be male or female?"

Reina raised a knowing eyebrow towards her young friend. "I do."

Oh god this is what he hated about her, she was going to make him ask before she did anything, "You know how to please a man?"

"I do."

"Will you teach me?"

Reina didn't laugh or become awkward like he would have expected of anyone else seeing as it was a very intimate request, as a matter of fact it just made her grin bigger and Naruto shivered at that. He knew Reina would never sleep with him nor did he want her to, all he wanted was her knowledge but practical and effective teaching would require quite a bit of intimate touching and movements which would leave Naruto with no blood left in any place in his body other than his cheeks. He was blushing furiously already. Reina touched his hand with hers, it was slightly cold but it warmed quickly against his warm skin and his tension lowered considerably. "I'd love to Lambie." He looked at her and all traced of her grin was gone, all he saw was understanding and affection. "Come to my chambers after dark when the guards do their first change over. I was rather young when I was taught but I still practice what I learned every now and then. I will tell you everything I can."

The two friends ate their dinner with no more conversation and they were both fine with that. Reina failed to mention that she was discovered 'practicing' by Empress Mikoto at one point with one of her ladies. No-one was nude and there was nothing graphic going on as Reina wasn't attracted to women, they were just practicing positions and bodily touching and kissing. Once this was all explained to a blushing Empress Mikoto she almost looked like she wanted to ask for a lesson herself but she just left. Reina never mentioned this even though she desperately wanted to and barely managed to keep herself from grinning again.

Naruto was never afraid of the dark but for some reason the young man wished it was light as he made his way to Reina's chambers. It was time for the change of the guards so Naruto managed to slip by undetected, another one of Reina's lessons afforded him that ability however that was a lesson he looked forward to. This one he was nervous as hell about.

Reina's chambers were magnificent, they were fit for the Empress and it was in fact the aforementioned royal woman who prepared these rooms for the Princess when news arrived of her becoming their ward. If there was one thing Empress Mikoto didn't want to be embarrassed in front of it was the Sky Country. Anything this Princess saw was going to reflect on her as a hostess and an ally so she even went as far as to use the curtains in her own chambers to furnish the room in time. The room looked rather red in the dim lighting of the candles Reina had lit. Reina lay on her bed waiting for her student to arrive. She turned and smiled when he entered. She sat up and patted the bed beside her. Naruto hesitated, "It is necessary to set a mood Lambie otherwise you won't be able to concentrate." Her voice was husky and almost a whisper. That made Naruto shiver with anticipation.

He walked over to the bed and sat down beside Reina. She wasn't looking at him any differently than she usually did. There was a lustful look in her eyes but Naruto could tell it was just acting. He had felt and seen lust when he looked at Sasuke and while this was a good counterfeit he didn't feel the real thing and he knew Reina didn't either. That is what made him more comfortable. "Ok Lambie," she said keeping the mood by using the husky tone. Naruto had to imagine that he was with Sasuke and he couldn't do that if Reina talked to him in the slightly childlike manner she usually did. It would be distracting. "We are going to start with kissing. Have you ever kissed anyone before?"

Naruto shook his head and Reina cupped the back of it. She gave him a knee trembling kiss and suddenly he felt lucky that he was sitting down. Reina whispered that he had to imagine someone he was attracted to whenever she did something erotic. She knew it was Sasuke but she never said so as she regarded the subject as taboo. Naruto doubted Sasuke would be able to kiss like that but he did as he was told and his cock got hard. Reina ignored it. She spent the rest of the night ordering him to try and make her feel that way and she would imagine someone she was attracted to. That man unfortunately was imaginary and she had only seen him in her dreams.

His first try she said, "No Lambie don't dive in head first. Take it slow, make him want more."

Naruto ignored the fact that she knew it was a him he was thinking about as he was already aware that she knew more than that. They often talked of Naruto's affections but they never used Sasuke's name and they were happy with that. Naruto gently touched his lips to hers in a chaste manner. He lingered in that position for a few long seconds and then pried open her lips with his own. He carefully glided his tongue along those open lips and then pushed in inside her waiting mouth. She brushed his tongue aside and plunged into his mouth. He let her.

She pulled back, "No Lambie," she said patiently, still husky. She cupped his face in her hands and looked at him. Her eyes were so intense they made him shiver. "You must not let him take over. This is your domain. He may be the most powerful man in the world, he may be a God from The Great Maker's house, he may be The Great Maker himself but in this room he belongs to you."

She let his face go and he tried again. When she tried to plunge into his mouth again he closed his mouth and patiently kissed her chastely again. When she tried again he pulled her flush against his body and gave her lingering kissed with no tongue until she sagged against him. He then pushed his tongue into her mouth. She taught him how to move his tongue and make someone melt underneath him. He knew that it was seen as a woman's job to give pleasure in the Sky Country just as it was here that is why in the Sky Country women were seen as being the masters in the bedroom. That is what Naruto wanted to be, he wanted to make the one he love submit himself to him and let go of all his worries and insecurities and his fear of sharing a bed with a man.

Reina knew this and that is why she pretended to fight him at every turn so he would be ready to combat anything. Reina tried to take control in exactly the same way Sasuke would and he fought her off. Nearing the end of the evening she said, "I know it is easy to push me away Lambie but it won't be so easy to push him away. Imagine him, use every power in your mind to turn me into him and take control of him. You rule his heart."

Reina almost slapped her hand over her mouth after saying that. Her father had told her never to reveal what she knew about other people's emotions because as an empath she knew what everyone around her was feeling and it was not her business to reveal that. However she was lucky as she knew Naruto didn't believe that. The young blond would have been happy to carry on this lesson until dawn but Reina knew they both needed sleep so she blew out the candles and destroyed the atmosphere by teasing Naruto about things that had nothing to do with this lesson. Naruto couldn't get back to his room without getting caught so he spent the night in Reina's room. They hugged each other and went to sleep like two children might slumber together. Taking comfort in each other's loneliness.

These lessons carried on every night. Once they got past what Naruto had once thought as the very simple act of kissing they progressed onto bodily touching. Naruto learned where ever pleasure spot in both the male and female body was. Naruto was amazed to find out how mysterious the female pleasures was and how difficult it could sometimes be to please a woman. Reina only taught him that because if you knew how to please a woman then you had a better idea of how to please a man in the opposite position. Reina knew what position Naruto was suited to but it couldn't hurt to teach him just encase.

It was a while before they finally reached lessons about actual intercourse and movement but Naruto had been waiting for this lesson. When he knew what Reina was going to teach him that day he lay down on his back bathing himself in the sheets trying to look inviting but Reina just shook her head said, "No Lambie," and pulled him up lying on the bed herself. She grabbed his hips and encouraged him to straddle her and place his ass directly on her pelvis.

"I don't think he would be happy with me on top."

"Is he happy now?" Naruto didn't have to answer. "Listen Lambie. No way is the right way but like I told you, it doesn't matter who he is outside this room. In this room he is yours to command. We were told as girls how Emperors take concubines; she is his property his to command. Emperors take concubines as a hound takes a bitch. Are you a concubine Naruto?"

"No."

Reina smiled and put her hands back on his hips moving them up and down, side to side. "Then don't make love like one."

Naruto followed the movements of her hands with his hips and then she let go and let him move on his own, "Remember the dances I taught you Lambie. Remember this is like a dance. Move like you are dancing."

Naruto started moving faster and more vigorously. Then Reina sat up and they wrapped their arms around each other. Reina taught him how to delay both his own orgasm and his partners so that the experience was not just a fleeting one. "No love making should be fleeting unless the feelings are fleeting too. Lovers are not animals they do not devour each other on instinct; they merge their bodies and become one. Make sure he finishes because you made him." She paused and smiled, "We use to get told this story about a legendary warrior woman under the direct command of Queen Grania who raised the sea, this warrior woman was said to be able to finish a man with her eyes alone." She tilted his chin towards her. "Make sure your eyes are always making contact. Make him lust for you with your eyes alone."

These lessons happened every night until Reina felt she could teach him no more. All that was left to do now was to wait for Sasuke to come to his bed. However now he was happy in Reina's bed. He felt safe and loved when he was being held by her like a guardian angel might hold her charge. He had never felt more loved when he lay there with his teacher, his friend and his godsend.


	5. Princess Reina of the Sky

Empress Mikoto was in an awful state. She had spent months and months preparing for the arrival of perhaps the most important dignitary the Empire would ever be hosting. For centuries since the Empire had decided to give up on trying to take over the Sky Country it had been perhaps the closest and most powerful ally the Uchiha's ever had. They built a bridge together that the Sky people named the Bridge of Rei, which meant the bridge of peace. The woman who was to become a ward in her and her husband's court was named after that bridge. The Na (which was the word for Queen) of the Skyland had named her daughter after that bridge because she hoped the girl would grow up to rule an area of peace. The Princess' name was Reina, Queen of Peace, and Reina was coming to live in the empire's court for a few years to establish peaceful relations for when she took the Sky throne.

The Empress had gone out of her mind trying to prepare everything for the arrival. She wanted to make sure the princess thought the best of their country, and the best way to do that was to make sure she was treated like a goddess. First Mikoto had to pick out the best chambers that had everything a royal needed, including a luxurious bathing chamber and a large wardrobe. The princess was said to be a weapon's expert and would one day be a master so the Empress also made sure there was a small armoury in Reina's chambers. Once that was all done Mikoto had to decorate the place to make it look spectacular; she had the room painted sunset red, which was the Sky Country's royal colour. She acquired new furniture and she had switched the curtains so many times she was almost out of time to decide what to do about them. Next she had to acquire servants to maintain her Highness' needs. Of course the girl would have her ladies with her, but for the more menial jobs servants of the palace were required. After that she had the stables reorganised to fit more horses. Skylandic horses were world famous, they were fast and strong and well-trained. If you were being chased on a Skyland horse then chances were if you knew how to ride it properly you were going to get away. The final job was to organise meals for the princess and make sure they were up to standard. Mikoto tried to find out what Skylandic people ate but what she found was rather limiting, so she just asked the cook to create dishes that were nutritious and tasty. Why was the most powerful woman in the Empire in such a state one might ask? It was because if there was one person in the entire world the Empire couldn't afford to be embarrassed in front of it was someone of note from the Sky Country, least of all its Princess.

In the end the Empress lost her nerve and got servants to tear down the curtains from her own luxurious chambers and place them in Reina's room. Young Prince Sasuke had never seen his mother like this. She was a woman who was always so calm, like a steady sea after a storm. Now however she was frazzled, and all she would say when Sasuke asked her what was wrong was that someone very important was going to be living with them from now on and she couldn't afford to upset them. At the age of seven Sasuke was an extremely perceptive child, and his instinct was telling him he should probably follow his mother's example and try to be nice to whomever was coming. Naruto however, who was another ward of his father's at the moment and also his fiancé (which was something Sasuke could not fathom), would probably not be so inviting no matter how powerful this visitor was. If he didn't like them he would let them know.

Naruto was Sasuke's best friend, he felt a bond to him that he couldn't explain to himself; he knew Naruto better than almost anyone save his family, and he knew Naruto was going to be trouble when this visitor arrived at the royal palace. Right now the young blond was away visiting his older brother and wouldn't return until the presentation ceremony, so there was nothing Sasuke could do.

Princess Reina loathed formal ceremonies and she wished she could just meet the royal family of the empire at an intimate setting, but they insisted on a big celebration. She was also unhappy about leaving her home; at thirteen years of age she was no longer a child, but she didn't consider herself an adult either. She still wanted her mother when she had troubling dreams. She was still what was called a daddy's girl, 'The only man I am sure I will ever be able to depend on', she thinks, 'all other men have no place in my life.' As she sat astride her horse bareback (as she liked it) she thought of her little brother Akash, who she still missed every time she climbed onto one of the great beasts. One the bright side though a trip to the Empire meant a long horse ride, and she could go as fast as she wanted without any fear of people shouting out for her Highness to be careful. She had begged her father to let her travel alone and he finally relented. If she wasn't so well-versed in weapons and uncatchable on a steed then he would have said no, but he promised himself after his son's death that he would not go wrapping his other child up in impenetrable steel; she was a young growing woman, she needed adventure. The King's wife had thought differently but eventually she allowed her, her wish too. So with only her ladies and her horses with her she journeyed to the Empire. She was anxious to see all the strange surroundings but she couldn't delay her trip too long to look at the sights. She wasn't disappointed about that. She had three years to look at the sites. By the time she returned home she would be a woman, ready to be a Queen.

"My Lady, perhaps we should stop. Our horses need watering and we should stretch our legs," suggested one of the young Princess' ladies. They were young noble ladies and like her they were slightly afraid but also excited to be entering a new country that they had never seen before.

Reina looked back and smiled at Lady Grania, who was the youngest of her ladies but still a few years her senior. It had taken some convincing of Graina's parents to allow her to serve her mistress on this long journey but eventually they, like the King and Queen, relented. "You're right, my own Grania. Our steeds are the best in the world; I would prefer that they be in peak condition so we can wow the Ground Dwellers. I bet their horses aren't half what ours are."

The three ladies giggled at that; it might have sounded conceited if it wasn't the truth. Skyland only had four things in abundance: steel, medicine, knowledge and horses. Still that is all they thought they needed and they were proud and boastful of those four things. They had already passed some small mountain villages on their way to the palace and had seen the residents gawking at their horses and then heard them gasping at the unbelievable speed they were capable of obtaining.

Reina was barefoot (as she liked it), however her elder ladies insisted that she not walk on the ground barefoot as feet could be hell to clean when they see a lot of dirt, so Reina waited astride her horse while Lady Grania placed shoes on her tiny feminine feet. She was about to offer her a hand to get down but she caught herself. After serving this girl for almost a year now she knew that if there was anything Reina would never need help with, it was a horse. The day she did need help was the day her heart was broken.

The horses did not need direction; they placed their velvety noses into the pretty lake the Ladies had stopped by and drank contentedly. Lady Agrona, who was the oldest of Reina's ladies though still just under her twenties, took out Reina's container of water and gave it to her. The Princess gave her a grateful smile as she was as thirsty as the horses and drank. She then asked Agrona to spar with her as she wanted to be sharp and prepared for when she wowed the empire's court and proved she wasn't just a little Princess. Agrona smiled and drew her sword from the side of her horse, watching her young mistress do the same. Agrona in Skylandic meant carnage or slaughter, and the woman lived up to her name. She had no patience and was rarely a forgiving woman, plus she was a she-demon with a sword. However her hard personality had softened considerably after being in Princess Reina's service. Agrona was a master with the sword and had been at times Reina's informal teacher and they had sparred on occasion, but Agrona refused to fight her mistress so Reina had never been beaten by her. Reina desperately wanted someone to test her strength against but no one would fight her even on a friendly level. It frustrated her but perhaps she would find someone willing to fight her in the Empire. She was anxious to meet the infamous Kyuubi; perhaps he could teach her a thing or two about the sword. The Princess would be a master someday and someday soon Argona thought as the young woman came at her again and again. She was able to fend her off but only just.

The court was ready for Reina, well as ready as they could be. From what Fugaku had learned from the Princess' father, she was quite a handful, what might be considered a rather wild girl. The Sky King's exact words to the Emperor were, 'she couldn't be caged in for too long or she would start gnawing at the bars'.

Apart from that the King had nothing but praise for his daughter; she was a great dancer, an expert fighter, a wonderful singer, a talented actress, a woman of intelligence that surpassed her age and the best horse rider in the world. The Sky King listed accomplishment after accomplishment and Fugaku thought the man was just being a doting father, but he was about to be proven wrong when the large doors to the ballroom opened and Princess Reina entered with her three ladies behind her who were carrying what looked to be gifts.

The entire court surveyed the thirteen-year-old. They all silently agreed that she was certainly a pretty girl; no doubt she would grow up to be a beauty one day. Her long mahogany-coloured hair was drawn back into a braid which was made up of several separate braids plaited together, and silver thread was woven through them making her look like she was wearing a very unadorned tiara. Her skin was the colour of autumn, but it was obvious the young woman spent a lot of time doing very physical activities as it didn't look as soft as the skin of a thirteen-year-old girl should. She was very skinny but tall for her age, and from the look in her eyes she wasn't to be messed with. The look itself wasn't a very malicious look; it was more a scarily mischievous look that told people she had something up her sleeve for them if they crossed her. She was dressed in the Skylandic fashion with a blouse peeking out under a low-shouldered jacket which matched a floor-length skirt which opened from the waist to the hem to reveal practical trousers underneath. These outfits were designed for women of action, particularly noble women. Ladies of leisure just wore dresses and common women who did taxing jobs just wore trousers, so women of high birth wore outfits like what Reina and her ladies were wearing so they could go from practical to formal rather quickly. Reina was dressed in sunset red, which was the Sky Country's royal colour, and her ladies were dressed in light blue. The ladies had closed the slits in their skirts but Reina hadn't, so the court could expect something spectacular as an introduction.

When the pretty young Princess reached the throne area she pinched the side of her open skirt delicately, and in a true ladylike fashion she curtsied. Fugaku didn't quite know what to make of this lovely, strange little creature that had just made her way into his court. His wife sat beside him just as perplexed as he was. His sons and Naruto sat close by, and they didn't know what to make of her either. Luckily she saved them from having to answer and straightened up with a snap. Her pretty, childlike face lit up with a smile that strangely made the Emperor slightly wary of her. There was definitely something mischievous about that grin. "Your Majesties, I am honoured to be welcomed as a guest in your beautiful palace and in your wonderful country. Seeing as you were so gracious as to prepare rooms for myself and my ladies I would like to present you with gifts as thanks." She turned to Lady Fhine, who was the quietest of all her ladies (expect when she got a drink in her), ironic as her name was Skylandic for wine. Reina thought it would be amusing to have the shy lady present a gift that she was rather ashamed of. Fhine blushed, but she knew Reina wouldn't have done this if she thought that anyone in the court would understand the irony; she would never embarrass anyone like that, it was just her own personal joke.

Fugaku wondered why the Skylandic Lady blushed as she presented the Emperor with a bottle of fine Skylandic wine, but decided that the young girl who could be no more than seventeen was just shy. "This is wine made from Skylandic grapes. Because of our harsh winters the grapes are not picked in the summer, the harsh cold preserves them throughout the harsh season and that means that the fruit loses none of its goodness to the alcohol. This is a wine I would recommend to any Ground Dweller."

Fugaku smiled and said, "Thank you young Princess, I am anxious to taste what your remarkable weather can do to make fine wine."

"You will not regret it Your Majesty. For you Empress Mikoto, who I must say almost floors me with her beauty, I was told tales by visiting dignitaries but I never imagined what I see in front of me. I can only pray that my gift does such beauty justice."

The speech sounded so sincere that the Empress had a hard time believing it was just flattery and blushed at the bold compliments as she was presented with a rather long box by the oldest of the three ladies, "Thank you my dear, although I fear you overrate what you see."

"I most certainly do not Your Majesty, I am a woman of my own mind and I know beauty when I see it," Reina said adamantly but not disrespectfully. Mikoto smiled and opened the box; inside was a beautiful dress in the Skylandic style. "I have no talent for sewing, my hands are about as delicate as a blacksmith's, but I hope you appreciate the work of my mother, who is a seamstress like no other."

"Oh I do my young Princess, I most certainly do." She pulled the dress out of the box, examined it with appreciation and placed it back carefully, motioning for a servant to take the dress and the wine elsewhere for the time being.

Reina then made her way towards the younger royals. She motioned to Grania, who was carrying three gifts. One was a large leather-bound locked book, which she gave to Itachi, "This is a book of secrets. Anything that needs to be kept: powers, lovers, ideas, they will be safe in there as it reacts specifically to its owner's energy. A creation of my grandfather's; he was a genius."

Itachi smiled at the girl who was about his age, perhaps a year older, and looked at the simple book. Most people wouldn't have appreciated such a gift, but Itachi found himself wondering how Reina knew it was perfect for him. Next the Princess turned to Sasuke, who gave her a hard stare, but she just laughed and took the belt Grania was holding. As a Skylander she wasn't one for modesty, so she put her hands on the young Prince's hips, appearing to measure them in her head. Just before Sasuke could pull away he found his hips encased in a magnificent belt which would hold everything a great warrior would need. While he didn't appreciate being manhandled he knew he couldn't say anything about it now, so he just gave a polite bow of thanks. Reina chuckled again and then moved over to Naruto. This gift was what was going to set the whole court ablaze with excitement. She looked the seven-year-old blond over and smiled with immediate affection, perhaps even more so than she had felt for Sasuke's cheekily rebellious attitude. The last thing Grania was holding was a long thin box which Reina opened. From it she drew a sword, small for a man but large for a woman or a child.

"I hear that you are training to be like your brother, Naruto. Here is something to help you along the way. We Skylanders have the greatest steel in the world, and this sword is what you want to learn with."

Naruto took the sword, "It's heavy," he complained.

Reina smiled, "It is as heavy as it needs to be to make you strong," she clapped her hands in a snappy fashion and made her way to the empty centre of the ballroom. "Come, come," she said. "Let us practice."

Reina drew her own sword while Naruto followed her to the middle of the room where people were gathering around. Everyone was surprised; the sword was hidden so well by the Princess' skirt that no one would have thought the girl had it. That coupled with the fact that it was a rather large sword for such a petite girl made the audience rather impressed. Naruto stood in front of her and a few feet away, and she smiled at him, "You are standing all wrong, Lamb. Stand sideways."

Naruto complied; Reina tapped his chin gently with the tip of her sword, tilting his face up. "Keep your posture straight," she said and then smiled a mischievous smile. "You are tiny," Naruto's head snapped towards her and he looked indignant, "which is good. The target is smaller. Now come. Attack me."

Reina turned her back and waited for Naruto to charge, which he did. She fended him off without even turning around. He kept attacking her but he didn't get a single hit in as she demonstrated her expert status, "Come to me tomorrow in the garden, Lamb, and I will make sure you one day overtake your brother as that is my ambition and one I will achieve before I am a Queen."

"I'm not a Lamb."

"We all start out as lambs. Whether or not we become strong rams is up to us. Will you come?"

Naruto smiled, "I'll see you tomorrow."

Reina pinched the side of her opened skirt delicately and curtsied while Naruto bowed back like his mother had taught him to in the presence of an important lady. The entire room erupted into applause and Naruto took his place beside Sasuke once again. Now that the introduction to the court was over it was time for the dancing to begin. Mikoto had managed to get a hold of some old Skylandic music and asked if Reina would teach the court how her people danced. The Princess smiled and gathered her ladies together. They would show the court how Skylanders danced and they would make sure they never forgot it. This was also an opportunity to show the court her power. Skylanders didn't use the same magic as Ground Dwellers. Where people in the empire would use a sprite as a connection to the spiritual world, Skylanders opted to talk directly to the land. According to them, everything had a spirit, everything was alive and all you had to do was ask them for their help. That is exactly why Skylanders named their swords. Reina and her ladies proceeded to shake the room with their powers. There were no windows opened and yet the wind blew around them as if they were in a hurricane. At one point it even lifted Reina off the ground and she leant backwards, arching her back perfectly and began to dance in the air whilst her ladies danced on the ground among a fire that had spontaneously combusted around their feet, and yet none of them were getting burnt because they were asking the spirits not to.

By the time the dance was finished the ballroom was silent in awe. Very few of them had seen Skylandic powers in action but they had been told stories about the day centuries ago when the sea rose at the command of Queen Grania to quench the Sky Country. Not a lot of them had believed this story, but after watching these young Skylandic ladies dance they were undecided.

Mikoto was the first to speak, and she announced that dinner was served. Then she addressed the young Princess, "I apologise Your Highness, for we have very little knowledge of Skylandic dishes."

Reina laughed in such a loud joyful manner that the whole court turned to look at her and saw her head was thrown back in a graceless manner which she had managed to make look regal, "My dear Empress, I have not stepped foot out of the Sky Country until now. I have seen it all, known it all and eaten all its dishes. I am here to learn about you as much as you are to learn about me. Give me whatever dish you have in your kitchen. I wish to know everything about this part of the world."

The room was in silence when the court sat down for dinner as they didn't know what to say to what they had just seen; luckily Reina ignored the tension and started talking happily to the Emperor about her ambitions as a swordswoman.

"His name is Taranis. That was the name of the bringer of thunder in our homeland, but today it is more commonly the word for mercy."

"A sword with a name," said the Emperor in a contemplative tone. "That's interesting."

"All swords have names, Your Majesty ... because all swords have spirits and they lend us their services like the rest of the spirits in this world."

"Tell me young princess, why is the name for an ancient Thunder God now used as a word for mercy?"

Reina smiled as if she knew why he didn't understand. "Do you know what winter is, sire?"

"Of course."

"Do you know what a Skylandic winter is? Where it is so cold and the air is so thin that there are very few days when you can go outside because you wouldn't be able to breathe? That is what winter is for a Skylander; we have to hibernate in our homes and wear all our clothes so that we do not freeze. But before that winter we get thunder, which brings with it rain. We have one month every year where we have rain. You would come to the Sky Country during that month and you would see children and adults alike dancing in the streets. The clouds fly too low for it to rain on the Sky Country but we have magic that can help us gather water from the clouds below. The month between summer and winter is the one time when the clouds fly high and our people don't have to labour all day to keep crops and animals alive. You Ground Dwellers have the rain all the time and yet you don't rejoice. I don't understand."

Mikoto smiled a little, she had never thought of the rain that way before, "Perhaps when we have things in our lives all the time we take them for granted."

Reina smiled at the kind woman, "I just hope that people aren't taken for granted around here, because from experience I know how much that can hurt."


	6. General De Mory of the Fallen Sky

Sasuke repeatedly thrust into Naruto's willing body, feeling his orgasm draw nearer. They were in the alley behind their university where no one ever went. It was their secret meeting place. Naruto moaned beautifully and Sasuke couldn't hold his orgasm any longer. When both young men had reached their climax they sagged against the alley wall, panting. They must have stayed like that for two minutes before they registered the other person in the alleyway. They turned around and were confronted with a mischievous smile and twinkling eyes. At first Sasuke was going to yell at this person for spying and chase them out of the alley, but then he really looked at his audience. Neither he nor Naruto had ever seen a more beautiful woman in their lives. She was dressed head to toe in black leather except for the t-shirt underneath her jacket which used to be crisp white but had been confronted with the dust in the wind. From the look of her Sasuke guessed that she had just stepped off a motorbike. Her hair was windswept and her clothes screamed biker chick, however her face did not. Her cheeky smile, pretty dark green eyes, autumn-coloured complexion and deceptively delicate features screamed 'sent from the sky'. Anyone without sense would think she fell from the heavens, which is why Sasuke was glad she was wearing such common clothes; if she were to dress herself like a lady of breeding The Great Maker knew how much power she would have because Sasuke's father told him that women were at their most dangerous when they were at their most beautiful.

Her smile widened when they noticed her standing there, and for some unknown reason the smile made her seem less beautiful and more dangerous; so much for Sasuke's father's theory. Sasuke snapped out of his stupor and yelled at the girl who couldn't have been much older than them.

"What the hell do you think you are playing at?"

He was about to charge at her but then she threw her head back in joyous laughter. She exposed the long lines of her strong throat and showed pearly white teeth that lit up the alleyway, "I beg your pardon, gentlemen. I didn't know this alley was private property. I would have booked a ticket for the show if I did."

This impertinent answer angered Sasuke even further. This woman obviously didn't know who she was talking to. The motorcycle helmet that had previously been tucked under her arm was set on the ground and she walked closer. "Honestly I didn't mean to disturb you," she paused and smiled again. "Actually the truth is I did... because I wanted you to notice me. If I didn't I'd be gone by now and you'd never know I was here." Sasuke snorted like he didn't believe her. "Ok, I'll prove it to you; Sunday in the bathrooms, does this sound familiar? 'Oh fuck Sasuke, you're killing me.' Or just yesterday in the empty classroom..."

"Ok," Naruto stepped in, "enough."

The woman grinned again, "I'm sorry, am I embarrassing you? My apologies... Prince Sasuke."

She gave an exaggerated but graceful curtsy, one a biker chick shouldn't be capable of, and then looked both of them in the eye. "The first time was an accident, but let me give you some advice: keep it down. I wouldn't have even heard you in this alleyway today if I couldn't hear you over my motorbike, and she purrs loudly," she said in a suggestive tone that went straight to the men's cocks. "Still, she doesn't make as much noise as you do, even with me on top of her." She bent down and picked up her helmet, "If I don't see you through the week I'll see you through the window. Bye, boys."

And with that she was gone from the alleyway. They heard a motorbike starting up and then speeding away and Sasuke and Naruto both found themselves ready and desperately needing to fuck again. Damn that woman. They didn't even know her name.

It was a few weeks before they found out who this woman was. She was certainly an elusive bitch. Sasuke was really starting to hate how clever she was. He hated being outsmarted, and the fact that not even Naruto could track her down was worrying. Both young men were starting to wonder if she had been a figment of their imagination that they had conjured up in the hazy mist that sex left behind.

That idea was thrown out the window when they walked into Sasuke's dorm one night and found the same breathtaking woman sitting on the couch as if this were her own home. The fact that this woman could come into a room as heavily guarded as the crowned prince's undetected and make herself at home with little trouble had both Sasuke and Naruto extremely worried. They didn't think she had spotted them yet as she continued to sit on the couch. Naruto drew his gun and was about to try and corner her when she stood up and put on some music. She then proceeded to dance. Sasuke and Naruto both found themselves hypnotized by this; the movements of her hips and arms created a mystifying aura. Neither of them could move as they watched her magnificent body move in ways they never thought possible.

The song finally ended after what seemed like an eternity, and she finished on one knee with her head bowed towards the floor. "How'd I do, boys?" she asked. They couldn't see her face for her hair but it was obvious she was smiling and that she knew they were there the moment they walked into the dorm and wanted them to see her dance.

Naruto leapt out of his hiding place and pointed his gun in Reina's face. She stood up and smiled at him and Sasuke in a way that made their knees shake. "That won't work, Lambie." She then pulled out a handful of bullets from her pocket and let them fall through her fingers onto the floor. Naruto checked his gun and sure enough it was empty. Now he was really scared. Who the hell was this woman?

"My name is Reina De Mory," she said as if reading their minds. She gave a bow much like she had when they first met in the alleyway. "I study at the same university as you two. I take politics like you Sasuke but unfortunately we are not in the same class. I also study the arts of war and psychology. I know what you are thinking, 'that doesn't explain how I am so damned good at only being found when I want to be found.' I have an explanation for that too. I have been trained in many martial arts and spy techniques as well as an abundance of other skills which make me all but unstoppable. Much like you Naruto, only I am of a slightly higher level than you." Naruto and Sasuke both opened their mouths but found that they couldn't think of anything to say. Reina sighed dramatically with a little smile on her face, "Well, I just came by to give you a little preview of a club my cousin is opening and what I will be doing to celebrate its birth." She pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and threw it on the coffee table. "I also wanted to invite you to come and watch me dance for real and have a couple of drinks on me."

Reina then walked over to the window and jumped out. It took Sasuke and Naruto a few seconds to shake themselves of shock before they ran over to the opened window and watched as Reina climbed down the side of the building with no ropes and little effort.

Naruto and Sasuke didn't expect to go to the club, but when the opening day came they found themselves strangely drawn. When they saw Reina dance on stage they, like everyone else could only watch open-mouthed.

When Reina finished dancing she went backstage and then came out looking showered and refreshed. She made a beeline straight for Sasuke and Naruto; she didn't even have to look for them amongst the crowd.

After being so afraid of the impossible woman before them they found it strange that they had such a great time with her. She was funny, interesting and had a lot in common with them both. Especially Naruto. Both young men found themselves falling a little bit in love with her there and then. They practically forgot how dangerous she could possibly be were she their enemy.

Reina slept in Sasuke's dormitory on more than one occasion. She, Sasuke and Naruto had often spent nights together just talking and laughing, and by the time they were sleepy they didn't see it worthwhile going back to their own rooms when there was more than enough room in Sasuke's luxurious suite. Reina had had her friends in hysterics telling them about an old friend.

"I hadn't seen him in such a long time so when he called the university I was really happy. But I must tell you that he is extremely old so that is why this conversation was a challenge. I picked up the phone and we started chatting. He said, 'How's Kasha?' now I must say he is referring to my brother... who's called Akash." Naruto and Sasuke started laughing at that because she theatrically paused with a smile and then dropped the smile when she told them her brother's real name. In passing it wouldn't sound very funny but the way Reina told a story would have anyone, even Sasuke's father, in helpless hysterics. "Now I didn't tell him this because he's old, I didn't want to upset by going... well, you're senile." Naruto and Sasuke laughed again at the way she said 'well, you're senile' in an accusatory voice. "So I just said, 'Fine, Kasha's fine.' He asked me for my home number and I thought I better do this slowly so I said the number in groups of two and he actually said, 'slow down.'" Reina was very good at imitating the old man's voice and Sasuke and Naruto were both helplessly holding their sides.

By the time they were all finished laughing they were exhausted and went straight to sleep. Naruto being the well-trained man he was was awake first. He heard gentle stirring, and when he awoke he found it was Reina. He was used to Sasuke having nightmares so he wasn't too bothered by this... that is until Reina sat up and started crying loudly and distraughtly. Sasuke got up like a shot and knelt beside Naruto to see what was wrong with their friend. They tried talking to her but all she did was cry harder and harder. They silently decided just to sit next to her on the floor where she slept until her hysterics passed. They sat there for nine minutes, Naruto timed watching Reina dehydrate herself from crying without looking to stop. The crying became sobs and they thought it was coming to an end when Reina's eyes half-opened. She was obviously still asleep because the way she talked made no sense; she turned to Sasuke and her eyes bore straight through him. Her eyes always seemed to see beneath the surface and she always seemed to know what people were feeling better than they did themselves. It was almost as if she had empathic powers. However this time her eyes went straight to his heart and damn near broke it there and then. She was looking at him with heart-crushing sadness and soul-destroying disappointment. Sasuke could withstand a lot of things but Reina (whose opinion he valued over almost all others) being disappointed in him was something he couldn't stand. For her to look at him like he had just broken her heart was demolishing to his very being.

As if the look wasn't bad enough she started speaking in a tone that was unidentifiable but still unbearably sad, "Why Lambie? Why? Why did you do it? Why? I don't understand. It wasn't supposed to happen; it was only supposed to be a dream."

Naruto tried to cup her face but she would not turn her head away from Sasuke. "Reina, look at me," said Naruto. She didn't. "It _is _just a dream. This will all be better in the morning, just try and get some rest."

Reina continued to look at Sasuke as if Naruto was too far away to hear. "I was meant to be a dream. I didn't do anything because I thought it was a dream, but you did it, Lambie; why? Why? Why? Why?"

Reina continued to repeat the word again and again as she lay down on her pillow and went back to full unconsciousness. Silent tears still fell down her cheeks and they didn't stop. Naruto said he was going to stay up the rest of the night and keep an eye on her. Sasuke knew he wasn't going to get back to sleep after being looked at in that fashion by Reina so he stayed up too.

Dawn broke beautifully and Naruto opened the curtains. Reina was a very heavy sleeper despite her episode the previous night so she didn't even stir. Naruto had gone down to collect breakfast and bring it back up, and she was still asleep. Naruto wondered how a woman who could best him in every fighting style he could think of and many more things such as gun play and recognisance, who also could never be sneaked up on, could be such a damned heavy sleeper. Naruto wondered if he advanced on her would she wake up in time. The answer was probably yes, she could smell ill will from a mile away (so much so that Naruto was actually starting to think she _was _empathic) so if Naruto were to come at her with a real intent to kill them she would wake up like a shot; if he was good-naturedly playing then she had no chance of defending herself.

Naruto and Sasuke finished their breakfast and were thinking about getting dressed when Reina finally woke up. "God," she said, holding her head. "What happened last night? I've got a splitting headache."

Naruto gathered that was from all the crying, "You had quite a nightmare last night. You woke up and wouldn't stop crying. You cried for almost ten minutes and then you turned to Sasuke and kept asking, "Why Lambie? Why did you do it?" Naruto gave her a scrutinizing look. "This isn't the first time, is it?"

"No, the truth is I've been having these nightmares since before I came to university and it's always the same. I wake up with a pounding heart, a splitting headache, a soaking face and a dry throat, but I can't for the life of me remember what I was dreaming about."

"Can't you remember anything?" Sasuke asked eagerly, trying to find out what in the hell Reina could have been dreaming of to make her look at him like that. He had had nightmares himself and they left him in quite a state, but now that he had seen Reina's face look at him like that he was sure that feeling was going to get worse.

"No," said Reina regretfully. "The only thing I remember is thinking: Why?" she sighed contemplatively. "Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?"

Sasuke's heart started to pound when he heard her repeat the words, but then she jumped up and regained her usual cheerful, cheeky demeanour and the three of them went about their day. Sasuke however couldn't get Reina's eyes out of his head.


	7. Queen of Peace of the Fallen Sky

**Part 2 of General De Mory's story. I hope to write more soon but I will have to wait and see what Sighcoe is going to do next with her fic. Maybe while I am waiting I will write a little Gideon/Reina smut. Tell me whether you would like that to take place in the past (Seducing the Sky) or in the Future (Seducing the Fallen Sky). Let me know.**

As Sasuke sat at dinner with his family he got the feeling that his father was rather mad at him. He knew what the reason was though; it was that damn Sky order again. As his father's still strangely youthful face began to develop lines through frowning at him, Sasuke thought back to the incident that had gotten them into this awkward silence.

_Fugaku was seriously pissed off; he had been at his wit's end with the Sky order for as long as he could remember but they hadn't been this infuriating for a long time. It was ever since they got that new leader of theirs. The prisoners he had managed to capture called her the Queen of Peace. Fugaku scoffed at that; if they wanted peace they should stop challenging his rule. _

_All of the Sky prisoners gave him a lot of trouble but one in particular was driving him insane. He was constantly on the phone to his prison guards who told him, "Prisoner 1-3-4-6 has escaped again."_

_This woman was constantly finding ways to escape, and every time she did they moved her to a higher profile cell and guarded her more heavily, but the strangest thing about this Sky soldier was that they never recaptured her, she always came back on her own. This time it was the last straw._

_Fugaku waited inside the cell and heard the prisoner prancing outside singing and the prison's alarm going off like crazy. The pretty-looking young woman danced back and forth through the empty corridors humming loudly to herself. She then gave a dramatic huff and picked up the guard's phone that hung on the wall, "Oh turn that thing off, I'm breaking in not out. This is prisoner 1-3-4-6 GraniaSheking returning to her cell. Oh and please tell my watchdog I'll take breakfast at the usual time. Thankyou."_

_She then continued to dance and hum on her way back to her cell. When she got there she noticed that there were people in the cell. She recognised them as King Fugaku and his son Sasuke, a young man whom General De Mory had told her a lot about. She gave a cheeky smile and performed an exaggerated bow. If Sasuke was any less infuriated by this woman's attitude then he might have thought that the gesture was strangely similar to the way Reina normally bowed when she was teasing him. "Hello your majesties, this is the first time I've had the pleasure. I suppose you already know my name but I will introduce myself anyway. I mean what sort of hostess would I be if I didn't? I am GraniaSheking,colonel of the Sky Order. I was close to making lieutenant but then I got snagged by you guys so I'll have to wait."_

_Fugaku's brows knitted together as he looked at the infuriating woman. She was holding a rose in her hand. She walked over to the vase on the other side of the room. Bypassing the two royals and the three guards that stood behind them for protection to place the rose in it. "Sorry, I just got back from a really hot date and since I won't be seeing him again for a while I thought I best keep this token."_

_Without warning the guards grabbed her and placed her in the chair in the centre of the room none too gently. "I'd ask you to sit down too but since there aren't many places to sit in here I think you would be more comfortable on your feet."_

_Fugaku lost his temper and gave the cheeky woman a slap across the face. It didn't faze her in the slightest; it didn't even wipe that infuriating smile off of her face. The King was at his wit's end and he didn't know what to do. He and his advisors along with the top prison guards couldn't find a reason why she would continue to break in a day or two after she broke out. They thought she was delivering information to her superiors but what on earth could she be discovering that would help her army from prison? That is exactly what he had come here today to find out. Sasuke was learning the methods of interrogation so Fugaku thought it was a good idea to bring him along, but then Graina started saying things like, "Oh, Prince Sasuke. The Queen of Peace has told me an awful lot about you."_

_This led Sasuke to become frustrated and slightly freaked out because whatever Grania's meaning was when she was talking about love and the fact that Sasuke didn't know what he wanted and the Sky Order's General did, it certainly managed to get a rise out of Sasuke. He started blushing and sweating and his tongue became rather loose so Fugaku thought it was time to send him out of the room. Grania laughed like she had won a victory, and deep down Fugaku knew she had because there was no way he was ever going to get anything out of this woman. His greatest interrogators had failed so what chance did he have? Still, he had to try. He was losing credibility because he couldn't hold onto this woman, and the fact that she kept coming back just to break out again was like she was mocking him. Every time she escaped they moved her to a higher profile cell and she escaped from them too. One time she even managed to sneak a piano back into her cell. A piano. She started singing songs in the Sky Country's ancient language and the other Sky prisoners started singing along with it._

_The most the interrogators could get out of her was, "What can I say, boys? I like a challenge."_

Sasuke looked at his mother to see if she would say anything but she just smiled and shrugged. She had been married to the King long enough to know when there was no reasoning with him. His tantrum would pass soon; all they had to do was be patient. Itachi had picked up on her tactic and had taken to her passive-aggressive ways. Sasuke however was more like his father, which is why they knocked heads a lot of the time.

Sasuke, while not being a big talker, didn't want to sit the whole dinner in silence so he turned to his mother and said, "Mother, how have things been with you lately?"

"Perfectly fine, sweetheart. What about you? How is University?"

"It is good. I am doing well in all my classes."

"Have you made any new friends?"

Itachi chuckled, "He is not a child anymore, mother."

Sasuke smiled and said, "As a matter of fact,Naruto and I did meet someone whom we have made friends with."

"Really, what's he like?"

"She," corrected Sasuke.

His mother smiled slyly, "Oh, it's a she, is it? Well what is _she _like?"

Sasuke grinned at his mother's antics, "_She _is a very intelligent young woman, a year my senior who was given early entrance to university and is studying politics, the arts of war and advanced psychology; she is graduating at the end of this year. She is also trained in martial arts and spy techniques that can overtake Naruto."

Fugaku's head snapped up at that, "If this woman can defeat Naruto then we may have a serious problem on our hands. She is a risk to your security and safety."

"Reina is not a security risk, father. Naruto has done every background check on her he can. She is clean."

"Well if she is as amazing as you say then she should be more than capable of fooling both you and Naruto."

Sasuke turned to his mother for help but she just shook her head, "I'm afraid I have to agree with your father on this,Sasuke. I'm sure she is a lovely girl but if there is even the slightest chance that she could bring you harm then I have to say I don't approve of her."

"Alright," said Sasuke, getting rather worked up. "Father, send your men after her. Check up on her, watch her for days on end if you must until you are satisfied but I guarantee you, you will find nothing." Sasuke paused and then came up with a solution. "Better yet, meet her yourself. We are having a court ball soon to celebrate the treaty with the southwest countries, and she is a dancer. I have seen her dance and she is marvellous. Invite her to dance at court and then you can meet her and decide for yourself if she is dangerous."

This was a foolproof idea in Sasuke's mind. Noone who spent any long length of time in Reina's company could not grow to adore her. She had even broken through _his _defensive barriers. One conversation with Reina and his mother would be infatuated with her; his father might be harder to crack but he knew Reina would do it.

Mikoto looked at Sasuke with a contemplative look on her face and then her eyes lit up, "Wait, Sasuke, did you say this woman's name was Reina?"

"Yes."

"It wouldn't happen to be Reina De Mory would it?"

"Yes," said Sasuke, giving his mother a hopeful smile. "Do you know her?"

"No but I have heard of her talent as a dancer. She is quite well known in this city. They say she is a siren without song. I have been trying to get her to dance at royal events for a while now but she says she only does it as favours to friends." Mikoto then turned to her husband. "Oh please dear, let Sasuke's friend dance at the ball. I'm sure she will be a hit. If what I have heard about her is true then having her at the party will make visiting dignitaries green with envy."

Fugaku huffed; if there was one thing he couldn't resist it was his wife's face when she looked at him like that, "Very well."

Sasuke silently thanked his mother's irresistible plea. Now Fugaku would have no choice but to except Reina. The woman may be an uncontrollable adrenaline junkie and an impertinent little imp but she knew how to conduct herself in any situation. She would have the entire court in the palm of her hand before they could blink.

Sasuke travelled to Reina's cousin's club on the night he knew she would be working. He was in no hurry so he ordered a drink and watched Reina dazzle regulars and attract newcomers. He caught her eye while she was on stage and she smiled at him cheekily, waving her hips in his direction. He chuckled and shook his head.

When Reina was done for the night she took a quick shower and made her way out to the front of the club where Sasuke was waiting, "Good Morrow,lambie. How goes the day with you?"

Sasuke chuckled; they were both reading a book called 'Sunrise in the North' by a famous author called Fhine De Ishke who happened to be a friend of Reina's. They both quoted a line used in the book to see how far along the other was as they had a bet to see who would be the first finished. "Very well fair lady. How goes the day with you?"

"My day seems all the more sunny now that you are in here, my lord."

Sasuke chuckled again and decided that he best get down to why he came here. "Listen Reina, I have a favour to ask of you."

Reina raised a recently plucked eyebrow, "Why do I get the Idea that I am not going to like this."

"Because you know me so well," replied Sasuke, trying to get her in more humorous spirits. It didn't work. Reina was too smart for that. "I would like to ask you to dance at a party my mother will be throwing. I happened to mention you at dinner with her and she says she has tried to get you to dance at events before. Apparently you are well known."

"You know I love to dance Sasuke,but I prefer to do it for people I love."

Sasuke saw an opening here in Reina's defences so he took it. "Do you love me?"

"Come on Sasuke that's not fair." Sasuke decided the best way to get her to agree was to stare her down. That usually never worked with her but her defences were down now that he had pulled the love card.

Reina huffed, knowing she had been conned but deciding to just let it slide. "Ok Sasuke, I'll dance at this thing your mother is throwing," Sasuke smiled, he seemed to do that when he was around Reina more than he did around anyone else. She just brought that out in people and that is why he was confident she would win his parents over. His mother especially would just adore her. "Now tell me, is this a high ranking court event."

Sasuke nodded, "Yes."

"Ok, that means I will have to be a proper lady when I come off stage."

"Relax Reina, just be yourself; everyone will love you. Just tone down the foolish adrenaline junkie inside of you and you'll be a huge hit."

And she was; the entire court, countrymen and foreigners alike couldn't tear their eyes away from her swaying hips. She had made her dance a little less sexual for polite company but it was still a huge hit. When everyone sat down for dinner Mikoto insisted that the young woman sit by her so she could chat away and beg her to come back and dance at court again.

Reina laughed joyously at something Mikoto said and Sasuke smiled. His plan was working. Then he looked at his father and decided that he should move onto phase two. "Reina, you are graduating in a couple of months. Tell us how you have liked university," said Sasuke, pretty sure that Reina's intelligence would impress his father.

"Oh I have loved university. If there were enough hours in the day I would study every subject on offer."

Mikoto smiled, "Sasuke tells us you are studying politics just like him."

Fugaku's head shot up. Politics was his favourite subject and it was sure to get him into conversation with Reina. "Oh yes, I love politics. It is a science more than anything else. You have so many political problems so just like scientist you need to explore every avenue you can to find solutions."Fugaku's attention was now well and truly focused on Reina. What she was describing were exactly his thoughts. It wasn't long before Reina had the king hanging on her every word as they debated the political history of the Empire.

"He was one of the earliest Emperors and he was killed by his advisor."

Reina hummed thoughtfully, "I'm afraid I do not agree with the history books on this oneYour Majesty."

Fugaku's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "And why not?"

"Well the history between the Empire and the Sky Country was pretty neutral around that time. I don't believe the advisor killed the Emperor simply because he refused to go to war for the land."

"And what explanation do you offer, young lady?"

"Well I have been studying the political history of the Sky land and the Ground land and I came across a saying that was not very prominent in the Sky Country but was widely said in the Empire."

"And what is that?"

"'Poison is a woman's weapon'. This was not said in the Sky Country because women were seen as warriors of the shadows. The ones who stood behind the men ready to strike without notice whereas in the empire while woman did fight if they had to they were underestimated more."

Fugaku took on a look of hard contemplation, "The Emperor was killed by poison and poison was a woman's weapon. Do you think he was killed out of passion by some lover?"

"It is entirely possible, but then again it doesn't have to be a lover. I mean what kind of woman is more passionate and more dangerous than a lover?"

Mikoto knew what she was talking about, "A mother."

"Exactly. I don't know who did the deed but what I do know is: a woman was the murderer."

Fugaku was impressed, he had never thought about history and politics that way before. Sasuke was relieved; he was sure that now his father would have no reservations about his friendship with Reina (who decided to wait for a while before she used the gathered information from her court visits to send her 'Sky thieves' in to steal weapons and information).

It was only the morning after the feast that Fugaku learned that there had been a break-in in the prison and every Sky prisoner both low security and high security had gotten out. The jail break had been led by a woman known as Wine of the Water (*cookies for anyone who guesses who this is*). Fugaku juts didn't know how they managed it but everything was brought to light when he was delivered a note that was left in GraniaSheking's cell.

_I know you are dying to know why I kept breaking in to prison not long after I got out. Well the truth of the matter is that you didn't give me high enough security. I had to make sure you were guarding me to the best of your ability before I made my final escape and told my superiors how to get every prison in every level of security out safely. _

_It's been fun Your Majesty but I suppose the next time I will see you is when the Sky Country is returned to its rightful place._

_UiskervachRossa (All my is such a beautiful language don't you think? )_

The King's mouth hung open for a long time. How did he not see this before? Grania was breaking in for the mere purpose of getting higher level security so she could find a way to get through that, and once she had reached the highest level she had all the information she needed to break everyone out of there. He was furious; he had played right into her hands.

Sasuke had no suspicions that his beloved friend was involved with any Skylandic activity, and he and Naruto were falling for her more day by day. Sasuke hadn't introduced her to Sakura because he preferred to keep his and Naruto's life separate from her, and Reina was a part of that life. Reina knew that Naruto and Sasuke had stopped sleeping with each other and she had said no word on the topic until today. Today was the day she was leaving.

"You are going nowhere, Reina," said Sasuke with a tone of finality, but the words caught in his throat slightly as he knew they wouldn't work.

Reina sighed; usually when Sasuke pulled a tone like that on her she just smiled and gently teased him, however this time she wasn't smiling, in fact she looked more devastated than he had ever seen her, discounting her moments of hysteria in the dream world. "I am lambie, and there is no discussion to be had about it. I have accepted a job as a travelling psychologist. My company will be sending me all over the world. I will be heading to the palace of Princess Shion first. She is having trouble with one of her people and solving the problem has been beyond her for a while."

This wasn't a lie but it wasn't the whole truth either. Reina was going to visit Princess Shion to help her with a patient, but she was also going there to accept her endorsement of the Sky Order and cement a secret alliance. The main reason she was leaving was because now that she had graduated her duties as the Sky Order's General were more demanding than ever, especially since her scientists had found a way to use old magic to raise it out of the sea and were only starting to perfect it. Still, there was another reason.

"Can't stand it anymore,Sasuke."

"Can't stand what?" Sasuke asked, trying his upmost not to sound desperate and pleading.

"Watching you and Naruto. I can't stand to see you deny what you feel day after day, and I especially can't stand to watch Naruto slowly kill himself with loving you, and I can't stand to watch you betray that poor girl of yours."

"You haven't even met her Reina, and she doesn't have to get hurt because she doesn't have to know."

Reina threw her hands in the air in an uncharacteristic display of frustration, "Of course she doesn't have to know. She is just the dumb housewife, isn't she?"

"Come on Reina, that's not fair," said Sasuke with little conviction.

"Let me ask you something,Sasuke. Say I was in love, say I was getting married, how would you feel if someone did this to me?"

Sasuke looked towards the floor and contemplated lying but he couldn't find a good one so he did the only thing he could. He looked Reina in the eye and told the truth, "I would kill them."

Reina nodded sadly as she knew he would. Tears were making their way to the corners of her eyes but she couldn't let them fall yet. "Say I was in Naruto's position. Say I loved someone more than the world itself. Say he was using my feelings to sleep with me. Say it was slowly killing me."

"Reina you would never let someone do that; your intelligence exceeds your passion," said Sasuke, trying desperately to avoid the question.

"Play this 'what if' game with me,Sasuke."

Sasuke's face grew hard and honest again and his voice became blank as he spoke the truth. "I'd cut off his cock."

Reina didn't recoil as she should have. "I love you Sasuke but I can't watch this happen anymore."

"Reina it is over, we are not sleeping together anymore."

"That doesn't matter. You still own every piece of him, you don't let him have anything for himself. He belongs utterly to you and it is breaking his heart that you will not give him anything in return. Whether or not you are sleeping together is irrelevant. It still hurts. And it still hurts to watch."

Sasuke didn't pick up on the fact that Rein said 'you _will _not give him anything in return' as opposed to 'you _cannot _give him anything in return'. She was perhaps the only person in the world who knew that he in fact _could, _including Sasuke himself_._

Sasuke sighed and looked at the floor, feeling like he wanted to cry, but the tears wouldn't come. Reina was leaving and there was nothing he could do to stop her. "Have you talked to Naruto?"

"Yes, and I told him exactly the same thing. That I love you both too much to watch you do this to yourselves and each other. That's why I have to go, and that is why probably we won't be seeing each other for a while."

"Please, Reina," Sasuke pleaded.

"I'll write to you twice a month and you can moan all you want to me about your parents as I am the only one who will tolerate it. You can tell your mother I will miss her too."

"Reina please," he tried again, not looking at her lest he start crying.

She knelt down to where he sat on the couch and cupped the back of his neck, putting her forehead against his and looking him in the eye. "I'm sorry,Sasuke," she all but whispered. "Nothing's going to change my mind." She kissed his nose and then pulled him into a tight embrace. They held each other for a long time. Reina decided to wait until Sasuke was asleep to leave so she started to sing to him like she did when he awoke from his nightmares. His mother told him he used to love trains when he was a child so she began to sing:

_Travelling north, travelling north to find you  
Train wheels beating, the wind in my eyes  
Don't even know what I'll find when I get to you  
Call out your name love, don't be surprised_

It's so many miles and so long since I've met you  
Don't even know what I'll find when I get to you  
But suddenly now, I know where I belong  
It's many hundred miles but it won't be long

What will I do if there's someone with you  
Maybe someone you've always known  
How do I know I can come and give to you  
Love with no warning and find you alone

It's so many miles and so long since I've met you  
Don't even know what I'll find when I get to you  
But suddenly now, I know where I belong  
It's many hundred miles and it won't be long

_No it won't be long, it won't be long. It won't be long. _

Reina set Sasuke down on the couch after he fell asleep in her arms, covered him with a blanket and left the room. Her face was perfectly still and calm as she walked back to her room where everything was packed. She fell on the bed and only then did she allow herself to break down.


	8. The Lost Sky

_Hi there, for yous who have read chapter 15 of Then, Now and Forever this is a little snippet I came up with when I was reading it. It takes place just before Kakashi, Itachi and Kyuubi leave the meeting room. I hope everyone enjoys it. Please tell me what you think of the poem. That is actually what popped into my head before the story did. Enjoy_.

Just as everyone was about to leave the meeting room Sasuke said, "Wait." Everyone round the table who had previously been discussing Sakura's pregnancy stopped to look at the young Emperor. "Kakashi, has there been any word from Reina? I sent her news of the pregnancy. She should have responded by now."

"Yes Your Majesty, she should have responded by now but the sad fact is she hasn't, and we are just going to have to deal with that fact."

Naruto looked over from his place near the window. His words were directed at Sasuke. "I know it is hard to accept, but the truth is there Sasuke," he paused and took a sad, shaky breath. "She's just not coming back."

"Reina can't be lost to us. I will not accept it."

"We all have to accept things in life we don't want to. That is the way life is," replied Naruto sullenly.

"Well I can't,"Sasuke said, refusing to believe that someone who loved them as much as Reina could stay away from them forever.

Naruto started to get rather angry, and for a moment he forgot that there were others in the room and he turned on Sasuke. "I am sick and tired of watching you act like you're the only one who lost something."

Sasuke too forgot that there were others in the room and growled at Naruto, thinking that Naruto had nothing to be sad about. Reina hadn't left because of Naruto, she had left because of him; it was he that was carrying the weight of the loss. "You didn't lose her, Naruto; I lost her. She left because of me."

Naruto stood up, showing emotion for the first time in a long while. His voice contained obvious anger, but it was low and steady. "Now you listen to me, Sasuke; she may have left because of you but I was left behind by her too. And I loved her just as much as you. She is probably the only person whom I have ever felt truly safe and loved around. So don't you dare tell me that I didn't lose something."

Naruto sat down and resumed looking out the window. The room became very silent. "Naruto," Sasuke said steadily. "I shouldn't have said that."

"No, you shouldn't have."

Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to fight against oncoming tears. His voice was shaky as he spoke. "We've both known Reina practically our whole lives… I saw the way she looked at you. She loved us both very much but she had a connection with you that I don't think even she understood," he paused again. "I don't know why I said what I said. I'm sorry."

Naruto didn't say anything, but the tensing in his shoulders lessened and Sasuke knew he was forgiven.

Another silence came upon the meeting room until Kyuubi broke it. "I'm glad you brought up the subject of the Sky Country, Your Majesty, because I have some concerns I would like to share."

Even though they weren't specifically talking about the Sky Country Sasuke was grateful for the subject change. "I am worried about the repercussions that the breaking of their alliance with us could have. Not only do we no longer have their support and shared resources, but I fear war."

Naruto laughed, "Then you worry over nothing, Kyuubi."

Sasuke sighed, "Your brother is right, Kyuubi. No matter what Reina feels she would never rage war on us. She knows it would be a waste of resources and lives, and not only that…" Sasuke couldn't find the right words.

Luckily Naruto filled in for him. "She loves us too much."

"Exactly."

Kyuubi sighed, "I know Reina would never rage war; I have spent a great deal of time with the woman. The Queen of Peace they call her. However she does have children and they could take their mother's pain over this break and use it to start war."

Itachi looked towards Kyuubi, "Even if that happens, what have we to fear from the Sky Landers? Their magic may be more efficient and obtainable than ours, but they are a tiny country. They hardly have enough soldiers to patrol the island."

"Not only have they defeated the empire many times in the past, now they have King Consort Gideon."

Sasuke's head shot up, "Gideon, you mean Reina's husband?"

"Of course that is who I mean."

"What threat does he pose?"

"Do you know anything about Gideon, Sasuke?"

"Apart from the fact that he is Reina's husband, no I don't."

"Well he is Gideon the Dragon Tamer. I have had the pleasure of meeting him on one of my previous visits to the Sky Country before he had the pleasure of marrying the lovely Queen Reina, and I have seen him walk through fire and return without burns on his body. I have seen a dragon lay its head on the ground, bowing at his feet. If war begins, the Sky Country will have every dragon in the world on their side."

Kakashi sighed. "Even so, what makes you think these Sky Twins as I hear them called will grow up to want war with the empire?"

"I received this letter from an old Skylandic friend of mine sent to me by a correspondent. He risked a lot just to get his carrier bird out of the country, and he told me to keep it as it was too risky to send it back."

"And what does this Skylandic friend say?" asked Sasuke, still not worried.

"He sent me a letter telling me how the rumors of 'Queen Reina's Tears' have spread through his country like the plague, and everyone is blaming it on the empire. In addition to this letter he enclosed this poem he says he heard a bard singing in a tavern one evening, and he also warns that there are many more like it." Kyuubi pulled out a piece of paper, cleared his breath and began to read.

"Thunder will  
Crash through the  
Ground land's skies  
Every time Queen  
Reina cries

"Her heart bleeds  
And her heart  
Softly Weeps  
On the bed  
Her babes sleep

"They will grow  
And see their  
Mother's pain  
Thoughts bring her  
Down Again

"The Sky twins grow  
And they will cry  
'Death to the ground'  
And the ground will die."

Kyuubi finished reading, and for a moment no one said anything. Then Naruto spoke up. "You shouldn't worry, Kyuubi. They are Reina's children, and she will teach them her ideals and her way of ruling. Maybe they will not be as forgiving as her but nevertheless it is hard to spend your childhood around Reina and not hang onto all her teachings," a small smile played across Naruto's face. "I know I did."

And with that, the matter was settled; Naruto and Sasuke were the only ones who weren't worried, but then again they were the only ones who knew Reina and knew how influential she could be in a person's life. Naruto has learnt most of his life lessons from her, and as for Sasuke, he may not know it yet but Reina was the only person on the planet who could make him realize when he was doing the wrong thing or being selfish. Even though he usually felt a tremendous amount of unexplained guilt around her, Sasuke just couldn't accept the fact that Reina was gone. She was the only soul who had any true influence over him no matter what he did, and he felt lost and slightly scared without that.


	9. The Unforgotten Sky

Sakura was fuming, Sasuke was late again. All she wanted was a couple of hours a night with him. Was that so much to ask? He could barely manage that and even when he was there with her, his mind appeared to be elsewhere…

Just then Yui announced that his Majesty had arrived. Sakura marched up to him and was about to reprimand him for being late but then he looked her hard in the eye and said, "Sakura, I am in no mood for your complaints right now."

The pink-haired concubine would have argued had Sasuke not looked like he was about to allow tears to fall from his dark eyes. Sasuke never cried, and to see him so close to tears was unnerving. She abandoned her anger and took Sasuke tenderly by the shoulders and guided him towards the sofa. "Tell me, Sasuke. What ails you?"

"I sent word to Reina about our baby months ago, she should have written back by now. This means she either doesn't know that I am having a child that if female I wanted to name after her, or she is trying not to let herself care."

Sakura was sympathetic, but she was rather confused at the same time. Sasuke had never held such a high respect for anyone. Yes he respected Naruto and his brother and Kakashi and many others, but the only people Sakura could think he held in higher regard were his parents. In fact he seemed to care about her opinion even more than he cared about theirs. "Look Sasuke, I know you are hurting ..."

"No," Sasuke said, putting his head in his hands and leaning his elbows on his thighs. "No, Sakura, you don't. Listen, when it comes to my opinions I have never thought about anyone else. Sure I hold other people's opinions in high regard, such as my parents, Naruto and Kakashi." Sakura nodded along, slightly annoyed that she hadn't been mentioned. "But none of them could make me second-guess myself like Reina did. And it wasn't just me; she could do that to everyone. She didn't even have to say anything; she would just look at you with those eyes that held nothing but love, laughter and sadness. I always counted on her opinion to balance out mine, and without her i just..." his voice was getting more and more emotional as his speech continued. "I just feel so lost."

He sounded it too.

He thought back to the last thing Reina had said to him before she returned to the Sky Country the first time, before her coronation. Someone had been flirting with Naruto, and he was getting worked up and was about to march over to his fiancée and the insolent woman who dared to approach him when long, slender yet strong fingers wrapped themselves around his, then his slim forearm. He turned back and was about to demand that he be let go but the smile that greeted him just softened his heart and he calmed down. She silently invited him to sit down on the grass. They stayed silent for exactly four minutes (Sasuke was counting) until Reina finally turned to her younger friend and gave him a gentle yet sad smile.

"I know what you truly want, Sasuke."

"You do, do you?" answered Sasuke, knowing that Reina was about to begin talking about something they had never discussed before but she had made him feel was a long time coming. That was another thing she could do. Another annoying, clever little political habit of hers that never failed to get his attention.

"Remember shortly after I came here, I made friends with the chef's little boy, he was about your age. Aiosh was his name, remember?" Sasuke nodded. "I taught him how to play the Veela Lume, which if you remember correctly translates as?"

Sasuke sighed, she was always testing him and Naruto on their knowledge of the Skylandic language she had given them. "The Rain Whistle."

"Correct," she said with a giggle. "Remember when it came to his birthday and I got him a Lume of his own? He was so excited, he ran around telling everyone," she let her head fall back in recollection; the sun seemed to give her a halo. "And you," she said, turning her head towards him with that same smile she had given him earlier. "You were so mad that someone you loved as much as me could make someone else that happy."

Sasuke looked away; he knew that was true, but Reina continued. "So you demanded that I give you your own Whistle," she paused and stared at him intently, her face now sober. "But you never played it."

Sasuke's knees had brought themselves up into his chest of their own accord, and he couldn't look at Reina. "I warn you, Lambie," she said softly. "Unless you want this Empire to delve into chaos and despair ... don't make Naruto your next whistle."

Those were the last words Reina had spoken to him alone. They had said their final goodbyes, but that was their last private conversation and Sasuke longed to have one of them again, even if it made him feel like the most awful person in the world. He just couldn't stand feeling this lost anymore.


	10. Seducing the Sky

_I am in suspense like the rest of you waiting for the next chapter of Then, Now and Forever so I thought I should give my characters something to do for a while. Enjoy. I wanted to show my readers exactly what Gideon was like. I have had some people say Reina is a Mary Sue but my point was only to disguise her so. Her people see her as the perfect woman and the perfect Queen whereas she is much more vunlnerable than that. She has a lot of passion in her heart which makes her suseptable to pain and that is why she has Gideon to balance her out. I know Gideon seems like the perfect man but this is him in Reina's eyes. His flaws are there and Reina does see them but she ignores them like she ignores her own. Her and Gideon have to do that for the sake of their country, they are leaders afterall. Leaders can't have flaws, at least not ones that can be seen._

She was only nineteen and she was a Queen. The Queen of the only country able to impose its will on the empire. The Queen of a country with the finest, strongest, fastest and most well-trained horses in existence. The Queen of a country where women were the protectors of men; men may fight the battle, but the women made sure they survived. She was the Queen of what she believed to be the most wonderful place in the world (but then again everyone feels that way about their homeland), so why wasn't she happy?

One reason was because last year her brave, loyal, doting father had died of a lingering illness. She had to ignore her grief for the sake of her country but that didn't mean it just went away. Another reason was because her mother had contracted the same illness and was lingering between this world and the next. Why couldn't the gods just relent and give her the peace she deserved?

Another much smaller reason she couldn't enjoy her seat on the throne of the country she adored was because she was missing two people, people she loved almost as much as her parents. Her time in the empire had made her grow so close to Prince Sasuke and his betrothed Naruto. She shared a bond with them that was unexplainable even to her, and she doubted she would ever be truly happy if she wasn't able to share her happiness with them. Sadly she knew deep in her heart that that was never going to happen, not in this life anyway. Sasuke was never going to allow Naruto or himself to be happy, and her empathic powers allowed her to feel their pain even from her seat in the sky. She knew she would always feel it, even at the moment of her death.

Still, despite all this pain, she just had to grit her teeth and get on with her life because she had thousands of people she had to care for.

Her council was driving her crazy; being a newly crowned monarch whose mother was on her deathbed was painful enough, but the members of her parliament were determined to make it harder for her. Of course they weren't being deliberately cruel, but that didn't make it any easier. Because a much loved king had recently died and his beloved queen was soon to follow, the people were restless and grieving, so the council had to make sure that the Sky people had as much faith as was possible in their young queen. They knew she was loved but they didn't know if she was trusted. That was a fair assessment because after all she was a young woman of nineteen years who had just entered adulthood. That would be enough to make any sensible person anxious about having her as a queen.

As a result of this many events and gestures to the people had been organized to make sure the people were satisfied, and one was a gathering of all the lords of Skyland to pledge their loyalty to their new queen. If the lords believed in the ruler then the people would soon follow. All Reina had to do was prove herself to be a Queen and a ruler. One who could stand tall and lead her people no matter what was happening in the world or in her own life. Luckily the council wasn't too worried about that. Reina was good at many things, and one of them was political persuasion.

She sat on the neimh vach lecha (throne of heaven) and looked upon the lords of her land who were mingling and laughing. She was to give a speech at the dinner that was to be served in a moment where she would convince all the lords that she was ready to lead their great country. She wasn't nervous at all because she knew of her own abilities to make people believe in her. However she was feeling a little uneasy and she couldn't pinpoint the reason. She felt like someone's eyes were on her; of course there would be many people looking at the queen, but this gaze felt much more intense.

She discreetly scanned the ballroom, looking for whoever's eyes were on her.

It didn't take her long to connect with a pair of bright emerald gems set in a face that could only be described as masculine beauty. His skin was surprisingly pale for a Skylander but it looked so smooth that any woman and many men would ache to touch it. Still the thing that was most eye-catching about him was his hair; it very well looked like it could be part of a sunset.

The queen's eyes traveled away from his face and lower; she took in his chest and arms which were toned but proportional with his height. When she got to his clear-cut hip bones and shapely legs she realized that she was now the one staring and had to look away.

After a few seconds she looked up again and realized he was smiling at her in a cheeky fashion. If she wasn't so mesmerized she might have been angry. Right now though she was much angrier with herself than she was with him. She had sworn to herself that she would never let a man affect her; she was a passionate woman but she would not allow herself to be made a silly girl because of it, and now here she was feeling weak in the knees because some pretty-faced male was smiling at her. She scowled and willed the announcer to tell the company that dinner was ready.

A further five minutes of uncomfortably averting her eyes before the announcer declared, "Lords, ladies and gentlemen, dinner is served. Please make your way to the main dining hall."

After the appetizers were served Reina stood up and tapped the side of her crystal glass and used her powers and the one candle lit in front of her to light the others in a small display of Skyland skill. She cleared her voice and began to speak. She had to force herself with the help of years of discipline not to stumble over her words when she spotted the same bright green eyes looking directly at her. At the end of her speech the entire room erupted into applause and she knew that their loyalty was secured now. When she turned towards the red-haired man who had been observing her all evening he lifted his goblet and saluted her with a cheeky smile.

The traditional pledge was read to all the lords by their monarch, and they all accepted it by kissing the tip of his/her sword. One by one the lords fell to their knees and kissed the outstretched sword in their queen's hands; the last lord to fall to his knees didn't take his eyes off of her even when he lowered his head to give his kiss.

All she could think about all day were those eyes even as the night rolled in and she was walking the grounds with a couple of council members talking about how well the ceremony went.

In the distance through the blessed rain that only visited the land in the sky once a month, she saw something moving towards them at high speed; it didn't take her long to realize that it was a horse, a beautiful light brown Skylandic horse.

It took her a little longer to recognize the rider, but when he stopped in front of her and her councilmen and shot a smile her way she knew exactly who it was. "Evening councilmen, Your Majesty."

"Evening, Lord Gideon. To what do we owe this pleasure?"

"I was wondering if Her Majesty would like to come out riding with me on this fine evening. It is more for Tansa, my horse; he would be honoured to have the finest horse woman in all of the land of Sky feel the wind with him."

"In this weather Lord Gideon, you must have drunk too much wine at today's ceremony."

"This is the weather that we pray for ever year, councilman; I'm sure Her Majesty would like to enjoy it like every other person in this great country."

"Her Majesty can't go with you," said one of the councilmen.

"She can't?" asked Gideon skeptically.

Before the councilmen could say anything back Reina jumped on the beautiful horse and said, "The rain is only here once a month my dear advisors, why waste it?"

Gideon grabbed a tighter hold of the horse's mane and the creature took off at top speed. Distantly she heard the calls of her council, "Your Majesty." "Majesty."

The rain had finally stopped and the sun was beginning to set. As Reina lay on the green Skyland grass beside the man she had rode off with she wondered yet again why he trained his eyes on her. She forgot to think about that when she felt the powerful animal carrying her, the wind on her face and through her hair and the lean, muscular waist of the man in front of her.

She propped herself up on one elbow and turned to him, "Tell me, why were your eyes on me all day?"

Gideon turned to look at her, something indescribable in his eyes. "You mean you don't remember? I thought the acceptance of my invitation meant your memory had come back to you."

"No, I just saw you staring at me and I wondered why."

Gideon looked highly amused, "Really? Tell me Your Majesty, are you in the habit of running off with strangers in the middle of the rain?"

"I figured it was the best way to find out what you wanted. So what do you want?"

Gideon looked deep into her eyes and whispered, "I want to serve you."

If Reina had been a lesser woman she might have been struck dumb but she gathered herself quickly, "As a lord of my realm who has taken the oath you already serve me."

Gideon sighed, "Then I already am all I need to be."

He stood up and made to get on his horse. "Come Your Majesty, allow me to take you home."

"Tarry a moment, Lord Gideon. Tell me where we have met before."

The beautiful man closed his eyes and said with a sad smile, "It bears no meaning if you don't remember yourself."

"Then allow me time to guess and give my mind something to work with. May I ask you questions?"

Gideon backed away from his horse and said, "Ten."

"Very well, My Lord. Walk with me."

They strolled across the large planes for a while before the Queen asked her first question. "So tell me my Lord Gideon, what province of our great country are you lord over?"

"Vachra Heli," he answered simply.

"Ah, the pure valley as my friends in the empire would call it. Mostly fields and forests."

"I like it there, it is very peaceful and the people who tend to the land are sweet and gentle."

Reina smiled at the man and thought about her next question, "So I haven't seen you before the ceremony tonight, which means we would have to have met before I left for the empire."

"True, but it that a question?"

"No, just a spoken thought. My question is did we meet in pleasure class?"

Gideon laughed, "No, Your Majesty, if I was in your pleasure class then I am all but certain you would have remembered me."

Reina raised an eyebrow, "Are you being suggestive towards, me Lord Gideon?"

"Is that a question, Your Majesty?"

Reina thought about it but then decided she couldn't afford to spare the question. "No, my question is," she paused, "were we children together?"

Gideon seemed to have to think about his answer for a moment, "For a brief moment, Your Majesty."

The Queen was beginning to resent the distance he was placing between then by addressing her as 'Your Majesty'. "Ok, answer me this: given the choice as a child, would you rather race or climb a tree?"

Gideon got a highly amused smiled on his beautiful face and his brows furrowed in slight confusion, "Climb a tree every time. Why on earth does that matter?"

"I want to see what you were like as a child and that answer just eliminated half of the boys I knew as a child."

"I see."

Reina stayed quiet for two minutes as she thought of her next question. Gideon didn't look like he minded, which meant he had a lot of patience which was another clue, but her mind was no closer to remembering where she had met him. "My Lord?" she said questionably. "Answer me this. Speech or no speech, were you always going to pledge your loyalty to me?"

"Yes." There was no hesitation, no thought, just the answer, but the painful thing was he didn't look at her as he said it. Her empathic sense could feel his emotions and they told her that if she didn't remember him then he would forever be her devoted servant but nothing closer. This made her more determined than ever to search her happy past. She couldn't ever remember seeing such a beautiful little boy in her childhood but then again they probably met at a time when her brother was her number one sparring partner and every boy in the world was the enemy that no good little woman warrior would allow herself to be swayed by.

She had five more questions left and she had absolutely no idea what to ask. She just looked at him for a long while; neither of them noticed that it was getting dark. "I think I remember those eyes," she said wistfully. "They're so beautiful."

They were facing each other now and Her Highness was leaning in unconsciously. Gideon got a look in his eyes, like he was barely holding himself back, but just before her lips touched his he turned his head away, directing his eyes to the ground and whispered, "Next question, Your Majesty."

Reina thought she would be furious at this but all she felt was an aching sadness that seemed to cling to every part of her being and was made worse by the fact that as an empath she could feel his sadness too. The night was as black as the Queen's beloved mare Neige, which was a Skylandic word for a dark cloud, when she and Lord Gideon arrived back at the palace. She had used up all her questions but one, and when the lord asked her what else she requested to know she said she couldn't think of anything else and would he please give her time.

Reina jumped down off the horse and looked up at the rider. The night was dry and beautiful, the way it only was after a huge rainstorm, and the Lord of Vachra Heli was more so. "I will give you another 42 hours, Your Highness. If you remember then come and find me."

"Where will you be?"

Gideon smiled. "If you remember you will know where to come looking," he reached into his black cloak which had a lining as red as his hair and pulled out a white flower which was known as a tuneless bell pertaining to the fact that it was bell shaped but upside down therefore if it was a bell it would not ring. They were Reina's favourite flower. She used to pick them all the time as a child. "Here is a final clue," he said, handing the delicate flower to her and then turning around and riding off without another word.

Reina didn't sleep well that night and when she did, her mind was plagued with images of his strong face. She prayed to the great maker that if she couldn't remember him in the time he gave her then he would just forgive her and accept her as more than just his Queen. However something deep within herself, maybe it was her empathic sense or maybe it was something else, told her that that would never happen. If she didn't remember whoever he was to her in a time gone by then he would be nothing to her in the future but her servant.

The young queen woke up the next morning now with only 35 hours left. She was still holding the tuneless bell in her hand when her lady in waiting Grania came in to get her up. Reina always preferred to dress herself, she was not a delicate princess who needed everything done for her, but she was grateful to have Grania there in the mornings if only to bring her out of her lazy stupor because, curse Grania, she was always such a chipper riser.

"Morning, Your Majesty," she said cheerfully. "Now that the council is sure that the people will settle the days will not be so busy. There are a lot of correspondents to take care of and one meeting to attend so I gather it will be a rather leisurely day."

"Have you ever forgotten anything or anyone, Lady Grania?" asked the Queen, out of the blue as she was known to do, so the lady of the court was only slightly taken aback by the abrupt question.

"Of course Your Majesty, I am human. Human minds are never 100 percent accurate."

"But have you ever forgotten something and then come upon it one day and wondered how on earth you could have let something so wonderful escape your mind?"

Grania chuckled a little; she didn't know what on earth her mistress was getting at so she did the only thing she could when Reina put her on the spot like this (it was another clever political trick of the young Queen's), she said what was in her heart. "Memories never escape our minds, Your Majesty. They simply lie dormant waiting for something to trigger them into consciousness again. Whatever it is that Your Majesty is trying to remember will come to you in time."

"But will it come to me *in* time, before it's too late?"

"Only time will tell, My Queen. So up, up with you. We have things to take care of and your mother's doctor wishes to speak to you."

Despite the leisurely pace of the day Reina found it very hard to concentrate. She had had that damned flower with her all day and she was no closer to discovering the answer to her problem. Damn that infernal man. How in the world had he managed to work his way into her head so easily? What was it about him that was so special? What was it about this flower that was so special?

Suddenly then it came to her, at that moment in her bedchambers in the early hours of the evening. She had dozed off on her bed having worked her brain to exhaustion trying to remember whatever it was that was buried in her memory.

She was around nine years old and had decided to take one of her father's horses on an adventure, having been able to ride literally before she could walk. She took hold of the dark chocolate-coloured horse's mane and let the intelligent beast take her wherever he wanted to go.

She ended up in a part of the Skyland that was just outside the main city. It wasn't greatly populated but it was beautiful. Nothing but fertile grass plains and woodland as far as the eye could see. As the

horse slowed down she spotted a modest castle in the distance. The young princess was always one for exploring so she decided to venture over the grass plains towards the castle (only surrounded by a handful of little houses inhabited by the people of the land), but something caught her eye.

A large tree sprouting tuneless bells was standing alone in the middle of the grassland. They were her favourite flower so she decided to pick some for her mother. Reina was always very good at climbing but she hadn't yet built up the body strength to do it efficiently, and this tree was particularly challenging seeing as the branches started unusually high, even standing on the tall horse wasn't enough for her to reach a low-hanging branch. She was nearly there, she was reaching out her hand to grab the lowest branch, but her little hands just couldn't quite reach and she fell.

Reina wasn't usually one to cry but the scrape on her knee was really painful; the horse had managed to break her fall so that she didn't break anything, but she fell off him and scraped her knee against the unforgiving roughness of the trunk. The horse nuzzled into her neck, trying to comfort her, but it just hurt so badly. She tried to stand but her sore knee just wouldn't cooperate.

"That must really hurt," she heard the voice of a young boy saying.

She looked around but saw no one, then she turned her head upwards and saw a fiery-haired boy standing on the high branches of the tree surrounded by the white flowers. He jumped to a lower branch and then swung himself by his arms with all the grace of a gymnast and landed comfortably on the ground in front of Reina.

"That happened to me a few times when I was first learning to climb. I know it's sore but I can help," he gently raised her skirt to just over her knee and examined the wound; he then took a tiny bottle out of his pocket. "This is polly flower ointment. There are two men in the village who make their living going up to the high mountains to get it."

The boy poured a tiny drop of polly flower ointment on Reina's knee.

Gideon knew the next thing to do was to wrap the wound; his governess would yell at him if he came back with a torn shirt, but his father had taught him that it was never appropriate to rip a lady's skirt so he tore off his sleeve and wrapped the wound.

"I'm Gideon," he introduced.

Reina shook herself out of her stupor, realizing that she hadn't said anything yet and while boys were the enemy in her mind, her mother had taught her that it was the height of rudeness not to thank someone who had come to your aid.

"Thank you for your help, Gideon. My name is Reina. I'm nine, what age are you?"

"Eleven," he answered simply, with a hint of an amused smile.

Damn, this boy was older than her but he seemed like a lot of fun so she wanted to stay and play, but when she tried to get up she fell (her leg wasn't fully healed yet) and Gideon caught her. Despite his young age he had strong arms (which had come from a lot of climbing) and he picked her up and placed her on her horse.

"But I want to stay and play," Reina complained. "If you give me another chance I bet I'll be much better at climbing that tree than you in no time."

"I have no doubt," he said with that same reserved and rather wise smile. "But your leg is still sore so you can't."

"You can't tell me what I can and can't do, I am..." but she didn't get a chance to finish.

"Know who you are, I had a dream of you last night. I dreamt that is would happen."

"I'll go," she said, resigned. "But I'll come back tomorrow."

"No, my dream told me that you will come back when you are a Queen. If you come back before then, then fate is all mucked up."

Reina seemed perplexed by the boy's strange behavior. It would be ages before she became Queen. 'Well ok,' she thought. 'If he doesn't want me around then I won't come back.'

"Ok," she said haughtily, turning her horse around. "I'll go now."

"Come back when you are Queen," he called after her as she galloped away. "Don't forget."

"I won't," she called back.

And then she awoke.

Her sweat was beading on her forehead as she panted and looked at the flower she had crushed in her hand while she was sleeping. The young Queen looked out the window and realized that the time was round about the same as it was the night before when Lord Gideon came riding towards her and her councilmen with the goal of making sure she kept her promise. Something tugged painfully at her heart when she realized she hadn't. 'A royal's word is their bond,' Reina heard the voice of her wise father say in her head. What would he think of her knowing that she had almost broken it?

She could still manage to keep it if she rode to that tree. She promised him that she would return when she was Queen and even if she needed his help to remember.

She could see his red hair from a far-off distance, and as the horse ran at high speed she knew that he had been waiting under that tuneless bell tree since he returned her to the palace the previous night. Before the horse even stopped she jumped and landed gracefully on the ground, being much more skilled than she was when they first met.

He smiled, knowing that the mere fact that she was here meant that she remembered. "You have one more question left, Reina," he said, using her name for the first time since their first meeting.

"Will you kiss me?" she asked.


End file.
